Let's Pretend Psychedelic Dreams
by SynesthesiaAddict
Summary: Tsugaru and Psyche have found each other at last... through the most heated enemies in Ikebukuro! Izaya/Shizuo, Izaya/Namie, Shizuo/Erika and even an Izaya/Anri. Mostly Shizaya. Plot with smut. Leave love :
1. Tsugaru

_A/N: The alter egos clash! Tsugaru/Psyche as well as Shizuo/Izaya, Izaya/Namie and believe it or not, Izaya/Anri and Shizuo/Erika, trying to keep things in character. Thought of this one on a whim. Yaoi, graphic sex and otherwise (specifically: M/M, M/F, anal, fingering, oral, WD, HJ, Minor2, language and violence) FANGURLGASM GO!_

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter One**

**Tsugaru**

Heiwajima Shizuo was very confused.

Fucked up dreams were not the norm for him. Not only had it been beyond strange, but it had been intensely erotic - again, not a common theme when he dreamed, if at all.

He moved to get up and stopped with a fierce frown. "Ah _fuck!"_ he cursed. The hell…? He hadn't had a wet dream since he was fourteen, what the hell was _this_ all of the sudden?

As he cleaned up, the dream came back to him in bits and pieces, and a disturbed feeling crept over him. Shizuo had always considered himself heterosexual. Nothing against gays or anything - it just wasn't his thing. Tits had way more appeal than dicks to him. That's just the way it was.

Psyche was a guy.

Yes, that had been his name. Psyche - how strange. Something out of some myth or whatever. Stranger still was the sway that the man had over Shizuo's bodily reaction.

As he brushed his teeth he could feel his clean boxers get a little tighter just remembering.

He had been sitting on a train. Not a modern train at all, it was one of those old school nineteenth century kinds. No one was aboard but him as it rumbled through the fog. Everything seemed off - a pastel hue to everything or one. He was sipping hot oolong tea for another. Shizuo had never been big on tea. Coffee maybe, but never tea. The kimono was a bit much too.

Someone approached from behind him in the aisle. Shizuo didn't acknowledge him at first, he just finished his tea and made the man wait.

"Tickets please," he finally whispered in Shizuo's ear, tickling the lobe ever so slightly. His hair stood on end with the contact. In the dream, he knew exactly who this stranger was.

"I finally found you," he said, then looked up at the man leaning against the booth, playing with an mp3 player. "…Psyche."

Psyche let a lusty smirk cross his face. Thin and lanky, a white parka with pink trim… _Very pest-esque_ Shizuo thought in hindsight. Psyche however, did not have that sadistic aura about him - in fact, he seemed overjoyed to at last be acknowledged.

"Tsugaru, I've been waiting for this moment…"

"As have I."

"A nineteenth century train? Really?"

"It was all I could think of."

"I pick next time."

"Fair enough."

Psyche vaulted over the back of the booth and into Tsugaru's lap, throwing his arms around him as if they were old lovers reuniting. If that didn't get the point across, his lips did, pressing in eagerly, seeking him out and running his tongue along the bottom lip to try and gain entry. Tsugaru obliged, only too happy to feel Psyche's tongue against his, greedily maneuvering for more contact.

Though Tsugaru was desperate for a Psyche-induced orgasm, it looked like Psyche was more so for a Tsugaru-induced one. At least at first. His eager hands impatiently parted the kimono, nearly tearing it in his haste. That hand found an erection easily beneath the silk and started to fondle and manipulate mercilessly. Tsugaru could feel Psyche's own arousal rubbing against his leg and moved to reciprocate.

"You first, baby," Psyche huffed. "I wanna watch you get off, you know that turns me on…"

"You won't have to wait long…" Tsugaru gasped. "It's been so long, Psyche… oh…"

"That's it, Tsugaru, come for me…"

So he did. Right into Psyche's hand, the pleasure mounting higher and tenser until he just went off, unable to contain the undeniable wave of orgasm any longer. "Ps… Psyche!"

"That's so _hot_, Tsu-chan!"

"Come here," he ordered, pushing his lover onto his back on the seat. He was just removing every bit of clothing he could get his hands on, fueled by a fierce _need_, when -

Shizuo's cell phone alarm went off.

And that's when Shizuo had awoken, utterly confused and really turned on for some reason.

He shook himself out of his daze and threw the toothbrush back in its cup. "Away with you!" he ordered the half-erection as he started to dress into one of his many bartending uniforms. It's not that he didn't have any other clothes, it's just that Kasuka had gotten him so much… and it was sort of a trademark at this point. _Don't fuck with the guy in the bartending uniforms._ It certainly helped Tom intimidate people.

Speaking of Tom…

"All My Friends Crush You" blared from the cell across the room. "Hang on, hang on…" Shizuo muttered as he threw his other leg in his pants and half-hopped over to the table it was vibrating upon. "Yeah?"

"Shizuo-chan, where are you? It's almost noon."

"Sorry, Tom-san. Slept in. I'll be there in twenty."

"This job might need some force, I'm warning you right now."

"Great. No distractions this time." Shizuo fumbled for a cigarette while trying to button his vest at the same time.

"Heh. Let's hope your _pest problem_ doesn't make an appearance today then."

Shizuo frowned. "Don't put me in a bad mood this early. I don't even want to _think_ about him today."

Tom laughed. "Maybe I should hope Orihara-san shows up then! I may need you all soured up today!"

"Don't tempt fate."

"I don't believe in fate."

"Lately, neither do I. See you in a few."

"Later."


	2. Psyche

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Two**

**Psyche**

Izaya was actually embarrassed for a moment, because for a second there, Namie had caught him completely unawares.

Well, that's what he got for falling asleep on the couch…

It must have been days worth of REM deprivation, he was sure. Shinra could have explained it a little better, but regardless all he could do for a solid thirty seconds was dumbly shift his glance between his new "secretary" and the massive hard on stretching his jeans.

Getting so busy had left sleep on the back burner for the informant, to be snatched in half-hour naps here and there. According to the clock on his laptop, he had unintentionally been asleep for almost four hours. Enough to catch up and fend of fatigue.

Enough to dream.

What a fucking dream!

Nothing had been right, as it often fails to be in the world of sleep. Not the emotion, not the reactions, not even the color of the world. Only sensation had been really _real_, and the memory of it had Izaya aching for release. The details of it raced through his mind as he struggled to recall the delicious dream world encounter.

There had been sakura - lots of it. So much so that it seemed to be raining pink petals. The smell of it swelled in the air and renewed with each tug the breeze gave the branches. Izaya had been sitting in one of those trees, stretched out and lazily waiting for … for…

What exactly had he been waiting for?

His hands were in his pockets, playing with the flick blade on one side and his iPod in the other. Izaya didn't recall what had been playing in his head phones… maybe Massive Attack or VNV Nation … something with a distinct techno yet ambient feel to it.

"You're late," Izaya called down to the figure who had taken a seat at the tree's trunk.

"I know," the figure replied.

Izaya swung his legs over the branch and let himself fall backwards so that he was hanging upsidown by his knees, hands behind his neck. The hood of his parka slipped down around his head.

Said figure was a blond man in a blue kimono. Familiar… why so familiar? He was looking right at him, even as he stood and approached face to face. Izaya could not identify him. Upsidown as he was, not recalling a face should have disturbed him.

Not in dreamland.

Dream-Izaya knew the man, even if Awake-Izaya didn't. He reached out and caressed both sides of the man's face, tracing the jaw line up to the ears and at last running his fingers through that lovely blond hair. "Tsugaru, I've missed you…"

"It's been a while, Psyche," Tsugaru replied, touching their lips together and speaking softly. "A long time … almost forever."

"A forever too long," Psyche told him, ceasing the speaking by introducing his tongue into Tsugaru's mouth. The kiss was … gentle?

Izaya wanted to scream "CUT!" This was all wrong. When he had sex, be it man or woman, acting all caring was a tool to get something. Considering the number of sexual encounters he'd had in order to make some sort of gain was in small proportion to his total tally, _manipulative_ or _selfish_ might have been better descriptors. _Sadistic_ even …never gentle.

But there was nothing conniving about this - there _was_ no ulterior motive, nor selfish need to get off and be on his way. Psyche found himself in absolute equilibrium with this partner named Tsugaru, breathlessly locking lips as the kiss became a bit more urgent and the warm tingle it produced jolted through his body. This began a chain reaction that started out as a flicker of desire and ended up a raging bonfire of want… no, _need._

"Get down here," Tsugaru ordered between the contact as it became more forceful.

Psyche laughed coyly. "Mm. Make me."

Tsugaru grabbed the parka and pulled, but Psyche just let it slip off of his shoulders. The iPod dangled as Psyche laughed at Tsugaru's slightly annoyed yet amused expression.

"Try harder," Psyche taunted, removing his headphones and letting them drop.

Tsugaru grabbed his shirt this time and tugged. Psyche wormed out of it and nimbly jumped back into the tree, laughing. Or at least he tried to. Tsugaru had a fistful of dark hair this time and yanked Psyche down at last. Psyche twisted in an attempt to land in a position that wouldn't be painful, but found himself in Tsugaru's arms instead.

Tsugaru was firm but gentle at the same time. He pushed Psyche against the tree and started to ravage the skin of his neck and collarbone with his tongue and teeth. Psyche felt the blood rush to the assaulted areas, causing a heated blush of want. Little moans escaped as he busied his hands beneath Tsugaru's kimono, seeking flesh and the stimulation thereof. Seeking to rid barriers.

It was surreal, but every sensation was tantalizingly vivid. The feel of Tsugaru's silk kimono sliding away, his skin against Psyche's, the sweat, the ragged breath, the feeling of the tree bark scraping against his back as Tsugaru slid him down to the grass.

Psyche's head rolled back when Tsugaru's hand released his aching member and stroked it softly.

"Mmharder…" Psyche pleaded, arching his hips in an attempt to gain more friction.

"Eager thing…" Tsugaru laughed, continuing to tease.

"Tsugaru … please…" Psyche breathed.

"You make me chase you and now you beg for me to catch you?" Tsugaru chuckled. "That's so you…"

"Ohhh I'm gonna die if you don't!" Psyche begged. "Give it to me…!"

A firmer grip failed to take hold, but something much more wonderful took its place. Tsugaru's mouth consumed Psyche's erection, so Psyche moaned unabashedly, running his fingers along Tsugaru's scalp in encouragement. His tongue was jolts of heaven and the way he took Psyche in deep so he could feel the back of his throat … oh god!

"Aahhmmm… yes!" Psyche hummed. Tsugaru picked up speed, massaging the erection with his tongue in a delightfully sinful manner. "Ohhhh Tsugaru… yes-yes-oh-god-yes! Don't stop! Don't… d-don't sssstoooooooop…-!"

_SLAM!_

And just like that, the dream had ended. Namie had slammed the door upon her entry and vaulted Izaya clear out of dream-world and back into reality. He was a little disappointed, but grateful at the same time - any longer and some clean up might have been required.

But this unfortunately left him hurting for some kind of release. Maddeningly so. If Namie hadn't been standing right there he would have finished himself off that second.

Namie cleared her throat awkwardly.

Now that reality had snapped back into place, Izaya took back control of the situation quickly.

"What? You act like you've never seen a hard on before!" he laughed.

"Do I want to know?" she snorted, trying to sound disgusted. Oh! But Izaya detected a hint of uncertainty in that statement! How fascinating!

"Namie-chan, I dare say you rather enjoy catching me red-handed!"

A subtle pink touched her cheeks. "Don't be ridiculous!"

Goddammit he was desperate to come…

Namie bent over slightly to place her purse on the side table. Ooh! Ooh that skirt she was wearing clung to her ass and caused the figure of this new lackey to become quite desirable all of the sudden! She was no _Tsugaru_, but…

"Izaya-san!" she gasped in surprise as he leaped from the couch and grabbed her by the hips, grinding his painful erection against her.

"Don't be so modest!" he hissed in delight. "I know want when I see it!"

"You're mistaken!" Namie cried, stumbling forward over the arm of the couch.

"Okay, play it your way. I'm violating you. Pretend you don't enjoy it. Pretend seeing me all hot and bothered in my sleep didn't turn you on." Izaya slid his fingers under her skirt and pushed her thong aside between her shaking thighs. He chuckled. "Pretend you're not hot and wet for me…"

"T-that's not -!"

"Ooh! I know," Izaya whispered, slipping two fingers inside of her easily. "Pretend I'm Seiji-kun…"

Stunned silence, followed by a pathetic squeak in an attempt to stifle a moan as Izaya maneuvered his other finger to play with her clitoris. Her arousal made the pinches, flicks and massages against it amazingly easy to make her squirm and bite down sounds of shameful approval.

"Shit, I can't take this anymore…" Izaya muttered, unbuckling his belt. His jeans dropped and Namie's skirt was hiked up roughly. Izaya's hand was pulling her hair in a grip that was pushing her forward, bending her over on the arm of the couch.

"W-wait! You…! I -"

"Your protests are so distracting…" Izaya scolded, giving the thong a new home around her ankles as his flick blade severed its hold on her in an instant. "Stop making excuses and enjoy this! It probably won't happen again…"

"You twisted mother - OH!"

Izaya threw his whole length inside of her at once, foiling her insult and turning it into a cry. The slick friction at last was sweet. He couldn't stop his own moan, finally assuaging that fiery need.

The tension built as he pushed into her as deep and fast as he could. Namie would have to finish what Tsugaru had started, and it wouldn't take long at this point. The way she clenched around his cock was delightful! Just a few more thrusts and he would be there, just on the brink_… just a little more…!_

"Tsugaru!" he wailed

"Seiji-nii!" Namie echoed in elation.

…Over the edge! For a few blissful seconds Izaya was coming into Tsugaru's mouth and lips, driving it into his face, riding high on the tide of pleasure as it washed over him and made his toes curl.

And then it was Namie before him, red faced and panting over his couch. Not half as satisfying as it would have been if only…

"Ah, that was pretty damn close to what I needed," Izaya sighed, pulling his jeans up. "So nice of you to assist, Namie-chan!"

She gave him the nastiest look as she adjusted herself. "Real classy, Izaya-kun."

"Wasn't it though?"

Namie was in the bathroom for a few minutes, which left Izaya to return to the work he'd been at before he'd fallen asleep. He'd assumed _that _was _that._

She came out brushing her hair, wearing an inquisitive look. "Who is Tsugaru?"

"Huh?" Izaya asked, a little surprised.

"You called out for 'Tsugaru,'" Namie told him. "That's a _man's_ name."

"So? You called out for your brother - _that's_ pretty twisted!" Izaya laughed.

Namie frowned. "So who's Tsugaru?"

"Huh." Izaya hadn't even realized he'd done it. "Let's just say he's simply an object of desire, nothing more."

"That doesn't answer the question."

Izaya only laughed. He laughed so hard he almost cried. Namie sighed and went to go organize his records some more. The man was in such a fit of laughter that he couldn't answer if he tried at this point.

_What a lovely dream…_ Izaya thought, still chuckling. He logged into his Blogger as Kanra. He knew one subscriber who was just going to _die_ when she read this…


	3. Awake

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Three**

**Awake**

"Missed me!"

"**GET BACK HERE, PEST!"**

"Honestly, Shizu-chan. You really think I'm that stupid? Why would I honor such a request?"

Shizuo's reply involved a vending machine flying with an intercept course for Izaya's head. It didn't connect of course. Its new home was lodged into the side of a passing vehicle, now sprawled on its side and nearly causing a pile-up in the intersection.

"_IIIIIIIIZAAAAAAAYAAAAAAA-KUUUUUN!"_

Tom sighed and checked his watch. "Oh well. I was pretty much done for the day anyway."

"They at it again?" Kadota asked, pausing to witness the damage that Ikebukuro once again suffered at the hands of the Heiwajima-Orihara rivalry.

"Yeah, I shouldn't have jinxed it this morning," Tom replied.

"This is so awesome!" Walker exclaimed. "It's like the epic battle between Orochimaru and the Kyubi -"

"No-no-no!" Erika gushed. "Don't you see? It's totally a Setsuna vs. Kira! Lovers in past lives! Only to be pitted tragically against one another in -"

"Oh, go write a doujin," Kadota muttered.

Erika gasped. "Ohhhh Dotachin! That's a GREAT idea!"

"Now look what you've done!" Togusa scolded as Erika spouted off yaoi ideas that formed as a result.

"Ah crap." Kadota facepalmed, then jumped aside in fright as a newspaper stand flew by his head and crashed into the sidewalk.

"IIIIIIZAAAAAYAAAAAA! HOLD STILL!'

"Try harder, Shizu-chan!"

"AAAAAHHHRRRRRGGGGGHHH!"

Shizuo chased Izaya half way across Ikebukuro before he lost the trail of mocking laughter and the occasional knife that whizzed by his ear. He paused to catch his breath in front of an abandoned warehouse and punched the wall in frustration, leaving a good sized crater in it.

"Fuck."

As he sat down and tried to light his cigarette with a lighter almost out of fluid, he realized that he had no idea where he was. As often was the case, he was so blinded by his rage and hatred for the pest that he'd ended up somewhere unexpected, but never had he wound up some place unfamiliar. And yet again, the bastard had escaped.

"Goddamned pest…" Shizuo muttered as he struggled with the half-dead lighter. "Come on … piece of shit…"

A Zippo was lit before him and Shizuo froze in fury. Long, pale fingers. A silver ring on the index. Fur lined parka.

"I'm. Going. To. KILL. YOU…" Shizuo growled through his teeth.

Izaya laughed. "Relax, Shizu-chan. Catch your breath - you've been hounding me for almost two hours, you know that?"

Shizuo just glared fiercely at him. The NERVE….

"Ten minute truce," Izaya promised. "I could use a breather myself, you know…"

Shizuo at last allowed Izaya to light his cigarette, never once taking his eyes off of him. He watched carefully as the Zippo went back into his pocket, well aware of what else he kept in there. "I'm still going to punch the shit out of you."

"So you say. So you've told me for the past eight years."

"Why can't you just butt out of my town, pest?" Shizuo sneered.

"There are so many people here! I love -"

"-humans, yeah, yeah. I've heard it before. I don't buy it."

"You're so thick, Shizu-chan!"

"And you're so annoying!"

"I guess that's why I hate you and you alone…" Izaya chuckled with a shrug. "You're abrasive, uncontrollable, violent -"

"Well you're manipulative, conniving, sadistic -"

"-ignorant, unpredictable, immature -"

"-sneaky, slanderous, nosy-!"

"-bull-headed, slow, uninventive -"

"_-skulking, underhanded, corrupt -!"_

"-harsh, blunt, quite disagreeable -"

"STOP!"

Shizuo was only getting worked up, while Izaya was just rattling off insults as if he were reciting a grocery list. It _pissed him off!_

Izaya was only amused, only too eager for Shizuo's reactions. They were so predictably unpredictable it was almost intoxicating. Taunting Shizuo was pathetically addicting. He _loved_ to hate the man.

After a long glare coated in quiet, Shizuo huffed and just took a long drag. "Asshole."

"Oh, what? That's it?"

"We've got six minutes before I pin you up against that wall and bash your head into it repeatedly," Shizuo snapped. "Or until I finish my smoke, whichever comes first. You're the one who said to relax, so cut the shit."

Izaya laughed. "I eagerly await!"

"You make me chase you then you beg for me to catch you? Ptf. That's so… _you."_

Izaya stopped mid-laugh quite abruptly. Shizuo waited for the witty reply, but none came. He glanced at Izaya's face and was surprised to find shock.

"W…what?" he stammered, quite out of character.

"Jeez, what's gotten into you?" Shizuo snorted. "You look like you've seen a ghost worse than Celty. It'll be no fun pummeling you with _that_ expression on your face."

"Y…you just said…" Izaya blinked, trying to process. _Coincidence?_

"What the fuck, pest?"

Izaya was quiet for a moment, finger curled to his lips, contemplating. Then at last he spoke softly in a tone that was not becoming of him.

"Tickets, please."

The cigarette fell from Shizuo's lips as it dawned on him. "Psyche."

"Tsugaru."

No words could possibly describe the confusion, surprise and utter appall between them. Shizuo felt heat rush to his face - the resemblance _was_ uncanny! And… he felt as if Izaya was some kind of voyeur, prying into his most intimate of unintentional sexual fantasies! He would have been raging again if Izaya's expression didn't reflect his own.

_Oh shit it's like… it's like he feels the same way! Like I've invaded on … OUR dreams? No … no, no this… this is …_

"…too fucked up…" was all Shizuo could manage.

Izaya forced a weak and awkward giggle. "Well. That's a twist."

How could he have not seen that Tsugaru was Shizuo the whole time? It was obvious now! And to think, he'd been pining for this man… wanting him, getting off at just the mere thought of him… how could this happen! Izaya _hated_ Shizuo! Was he seriously the only one who could scratch this maddeningly lusty _itch_ he'd had since these crazy dreams started?

"…yeah," was all Shizuo could say.

Izaya wanted to stab the moron in the head in exasperation. _No, you protozoan, you're supposed to move this utterly strange conversation FORWARD, not just punctuate it with statements of dumbfoundedness…_ Because… because for the first time in a very long time… Izaya didn't know what to say either.

"I, uh… I'm gonna go home," Shizuo finally said, rising from the steps in a daze.

"Yeah, okay…" Izaya agreed awkwardly. "So, uh… this…"

"Didn't happen. Right."

"Swell! So I guess I'll kill you later."

"Sure. Kill. Yeah."

Both men quickly parted in opposite directions, mulling over the supernaturally humiliating situation over individually.

_What the hell is going on?_ They thought.


	4. Fantasy

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Four**

**Fantasy**

Izaya tossed and turned. He pulled the comforter over his head, then kicked the whole thing off. He shoved his head underneath his pillow, then peeked out from under it to look at his alarm clock.

2:47am.

An hour and a half and he _still_ couldn't fall asleep. He rolled onto his back and sighed. Was he afraid to dream? That Tsugaru would sweep Psyche off of his feet and induce mind-numbing pleasure upon him? No, he was afraid he _wanted_ to dream.

Izaya glared at the erection in his boxers. He was hard for Tsugaru, no doubt… but Tsugaru was _Shizuo!_ How frustrating! Finally he conceded to masturbation, but no matter how he manipulated himself, he just couldn't quite get off.

"Tsugaru…" escaped his lips, and he stopped. To never gain closure on a real experience when the possibility lingered on reality? It was driving him insane!

That did it.

Izaya jumped out of bed and yanked on his pants. This ends. Tonight.

Shizuo miserably channel surfed, also in a fit of Psyche-induced insomnia. He was trying to drown out the constant barrage of "how-how-why-how-how?" with infomercials.

It wasn't working.

Shared dreams… about sex. Maybe it wasn't so out there, but with _Izaya?_ The whole thing was just mind blowing! And the desire for Psyche was _still there! Why?_

Shizuo was startled by a rapid knock at the door. _The hell…?_ It was after three in the morning. Who…?

Shizuo's jaw dropped when he saw who was standing there. Before he could stammer out a threat, Izaya just invited himself in, slipping off his shoes, looking around in curiosity and talking as if he'd done this a thousand times before.

"Thought you might be up. Nice pad. Hey, is that House I spy in your DVDs?"

Shizuo clenched his fists as Izaya examined his DVD rack nonchalantly. "Wh..? What the FUCK Izaya? Get the hell out of my house!"

"Megalocolypse? Oh my, Shizu-chan, I didn't know you were into hentai…"

Shizuo snatched the DVD away. "Gimme that! I'm gonna beat the -"

"-shit out of me, yes, I gathered." Izaya was unphased as he made his way into the kitchen, where he just opened the fridge and started to rummage as if he lived there. "Milk? Gross. Though I must say, your taste in left over take-out is top-notch, if only lazy…"

"WHAT THE FUCK -?"

Izaya gasped in happiness. "You have fatty tuna rolls from Russia Sushi in here! You MUST have been expecting me!"

"Izaya-kun-!"

"Say, do you have any wasabi?"

"_Izaya!"_

"Hm?" he asked, peeking his head back over the refrigerator door.

Shizuo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Look. It's three in the goddamned morning. I'm tired. I don't feel like trying to snap your neck into many satisfying pieces right now… so cut to the chase. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Sampling your fridge, duh," Izaya told him, helping himself to the sushi as he closed the door. Once again the front room was lit only by the dim light of the television. Izaya jumped over and onto the couch, feigning interest in the program Shizuo had been half-watching. "What's on, anything good?"

"Knock it off, pest!" Shizuo snapped. "Instead of being obnoxious, you could just get to the point!"

"It would be terribly out of character for me to not try and piss you off before I do what I came here to do…" Izaya informed him, eating another sushi roll and changing the channel.

"_Which is…?"_

Izaya turned the TV off and the room was plunged into darkness, the only light now coming from the distant city lights through the windows. Shizuo could no longer see Izaya's expression, but if it matched the tone he changed to, it was probably quite serious.

"You've been wondering too, haven't you?" he said softly. "Just who are Tsugaru and Psyche?"

"I don't know," Shizuo replied after a moment.

"Past lives? Alter egos? Riding Voudon spirits, perhaps?"

"I don't know," Shizuo repeated. "I don't care."

"If you don't care, then why were you awake when I knocked?"

Shizuo had no answer to that. A thousand different excuses could have been presented, but that fucking pest had him pegged. As if it were hard to guess at what either of them had been thinking about all night.

Izaya stood and approached him, an inquisitive look just barely visible in his dark eyes. "It can be safely inferred that you play the part of Tsugaru, and I Psyche, yes?"

"What's your point?" Shizuo asked coldly.

Izaya laughed softly. "Well, I suppose my point would be this:" Without warning, he shoved Shizuo against the wall, flickblade next to his head with on hand, the other seeking underneath his T-shirt as Izaya's lips brushing against his in an infuriatingly thrilling manner.

"_What the fuck are you -?"_

"I have to know!" Izaya breathed into his lips hotly. "It's been driving me crazy! I hate you. I hate you _so much_, but how can I not want you when it turned out that all this time _you were the object of my desire!_ Fuck, Shizuo… I have to know."

Shizuo would have been lying if he had denied that he felt the same. He would have been content to stew on it indefinitely rather than swallow his pride however. It seemed that Izaya was not though, and he almost rolled his eyes - just like the pest to pry every little detail out of something like this. He didn't though. He was too mindfucked to do anything but quiver slightly as Izaya continued his outrageous and unthinkable advances.

"This… this is reality. You're not Psyche here," Shizuo stammered. He wanted to swat Izaya's wandering hand away, but it brushed against his groin so he had to use that energy to try and deny the arousal that kicked up as a result. He prayed that Izaya's infallible observation skills had missed the shiver that ran over him in the dark… but he doubted it and mentally cursed.

"Then let's pretend…" Izaya whispered, nibbling on Shizuo's bottom lip tantalizingly.

"I'm… I'm going to kill you…" Shizuo managed - though it didn't come off half as menacing or angry as he wanted it to.

"After this, do what you want. You want … you _need_ this as much as I do… or at least the Tsugaru in you does…"

"Dammit, Izaya -"

"Psyche," Izaya corrected, then pressed his tongue against Shizuo's mouth, demanding to be let in.

Shizuo at last consented and allowed him access, letting his tongue dart across his, shocked at how fast that arousal swelled back up when he let it. No matter how many times his brain screamed at him** "IZAYA ALERT!"** he could only see Psyche.

And Psyche _really_ turned him on.

Shizuo's reluctance melted away with a mental _'fuck it.'_ At last able to send signals to his arms, he grabbed Izaya's parka and pushed him towards the bedroom. Izaya kept hold, trying to keep their lips locked in place with marginal success. His coat was thrown to the floor and a sort of power struggle ensued, with interesting results. If Izaya hadn't knocked him back onto the bed with an underhanded trip, Shizuo would have pinned him and pounded him - physically and sexually, just to get it out of his system and be done with it. Izaya had other plans. Once Shizuo was on his back, Izaya immediately straddled him, pulling off his shirt in a hurry to regain contact.

As their lips met again in a frantic manner, it was very clear that this was worlds different that Psyche and Tsugaru's encounters. The dream couple almost seemed to make love when they embraced. Reality was far harsher and fueled by carnal instinct alone.

Izaya struggled only for a moment with Shizuo's shirt before he just tore it off in his frenzy. Shizuo was equally intoxicated and not inclined to care. He sucked in air through his teeth as Izaya bit his neck several times before finding a spot to leave a near purple mark. Shizuo bit Izaya's ear lobe and clenched a fistful of hair. To his surprise, a heated, muffled moan resulted, as if he'd been trying to hold it back.

Forcing the sound out of his hated lover had a profound effect on his desire - it multiplied tenfold. He'd made the pest react. His ego was suddenly just as swollen as his cock was. He breathed a chuckle as Izaya pushed himself to his knees and threw his pants open, revealing his own rock hard desire. In a slightly awkward maneuver, Shizuo's boxers were across the room and he was leaning over him, looking shockingly barbaric with his lack of composure.

Shizuo grabbed his hair and pulled again. "Nuh-uh."

Izaya huffed out laughter and licked his hand playfully, making him let go. "Don't let your pride get in the way, Shizu-chan. I promise to be gentle…"

"Fuck you," Shizuo told him breathlessly. "You're not topping me, pest."

Izaya seemed desperate for some kind of sexual release as he lowered his head slightly, and it showed with his lack of wit. His fingers curled into fists, digging nails into Shizuo's skin, making him arch a bit. "Goddammit, Shizu-chan. If that's the way it's gonna be, you're gonna suck me off. It's only fair."

Shizuo only grunted in agreement after considering briefly which he would rather. Izaya grinned and hopped back so his rival could get into a more appropriate position for the task. They shifted quickly, eager to regain contact, eager to remove remaining clothing, eager to get this over with, but also eager to indulge each other in this strange supernatural twist of fate.

Having never pleasured a man before, Shizuo relied on pornography for mental instruction. And considering his mind made the transition from Izaya to Psyche almost too easily, pushing him back so he was sitting on his knees so he could induce tongue-winding pleasure upon his throbbing member was just as easy. Tsugaru knew what he was doing anyway…

Izaya let a _"fuck…"_ cross his lips. He was too taken in a fit of pleasure, making him quiver and taking his breath away to really gloat. Shizuo was at last his dirty little bitch-whore and he could barely register the fact - Psyche was pushing the malicious thoughts aside, forcing him to focus on the impending orgasm, slightly out of reach but approaching at a steady pace. Especially with Shizuo's mouth doing _that…_

"Ahh… fuck me!" he finally cried. _"Fuck_ me, Tsugaru!"

Shizuo practically pounced, shoving Izaya against the headboard and pinning him beneath him, in position to impale at a moment's notice. "I want you so bad, Psyche…"

"Then stop screwing around."

"This is finally real."

"I know." Izaya bit down a moan as Shizuo introduced his fingers. "Mmf. Please…"

Shizuo wanted to mock him for pleading so pathetically. Tsugaru wanted to oblige with an agonizing urge to penetrate. Tsugaru won out. Shizuo easily hefted Izaya's legs up in his arms and slowly immersed himself into the eager informant. Izaya exhaled shakily, jutting his chin up with the sensation. _Tsugaru at last…_

It was a fleeting and muffled affair. At first the only sound they exchanged was the labored breath between them, as if neither wanted to admit not only was the coupling intense, but quiet enjoyable. But Shizuo couldn't help it. He let out a heated "Oh…!" when Izaya clenched his cock under him. Izaya smirked Psyche's lusty smirk and laughed unevenly from the rhythm, squeezing again, eliciting a curse this time from his carnal rival.

"_Shit…"_

"Come for me…!"

"_You_ come for _me."_ Shizuo grabbed Izaya's erection between them and pumped hard, picking up the pace and making the man make unintelligible sounds of agreement. They were at a fever pitch by now, the only concern of theirs being moving the right way in order to get the right kind of contact for the inevitable orgasm. All barriers between them crumbled in the last moments of their break neck embrace. Shouts and exclamations of pleasure rose from them both, until Izaya at last burst and coated Shizuo's hand, the blond going off barely a minute later within his nemesis.

"Psyche!"

"Tsugaruuuuuu!"

"Psyche-Psyche-Ps…_Psyche!"_

The kiss was so hard Shizuo's jaw ached but the feeling was so blindingly amazing that he felt he had to hang onto something for dear life - that something being Izaya. More specifically his thighs.

They lay there for a long time, catching their breath and slowing their hearts. At last Shizuo rolled to one side. Now that he had a little more say over Tsugaru, he wanted Izaya as far away from him as possible. There was an aversion of sorts, as if the bastard had tainted him somehow. But he was too groggy to drag the pest by the hair to the door. So sleepy…

He tensed when he felt Izaya's warm hands against his sweaty back, very softly. _What…?_

"Tsu-chan…" he whispered.

"…yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." He flinched right after he said it. The words popped out of Shizuo's mouth before he could stop them. He wanted to be angry with this Tsugaru, but since he wasn't tangible, it was very hard to express. It wasn't like he could chuck the feudal bastard out the window. _Stupid samurai wannabe…_

It seemed Izaya was still fully immersed in Psyche, or at least he was doing a good job acting that way. His arm was around Shizuo's stomach and his body was curled against him in the most delightfully comfortable way… he could feel Izaya's heartbeat against his spine, still pounding away. The breath was hot against his neck, nose buried in his hair in an almost affectionate manner.

This was all wrong!

Try as he might, Shizuo was just too tired to resist Tsugaru. He laid his hand over Izaya's and drifted off, just as the sky was starting to lighten. Off to dream things yet experienced between him and Psyche.

For ten hours, it didn't matter. This was … nice. Weird. But nice.

He'd deal with the fact that Izaya was completely vulnerable beside him and still in one piece later. _Let's forget for a little while. Let's dream. Let's pretend…_


	5. Reality

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Five**

**Reality**

The sun was what woke Izaya up, which was the first thing that struck him as odd, for he always kept his bedroom dark with thick curtains because he slept at strange hours sometimes. He moved his hand to shield his eyes and froze.

There was a hand over his.

It wasn't often that he didn't recall how he had gotten into a lover's bed the night before. He didn't drink too often, but when he did he was more of a binger every six months or so. So maybe…? No, he didn't recall even _starting_ to drink. Unless he had been rufeed, he didn't remember consuming any drugs either. And it wasn't a repeat encounter either, because he didn't recognize the monochrome comforter sheet set, the electric blue numbers displayed on the alarm clock or the south facing window. Nothing about the bedroom was familiar.

He inhaled the scent of his lover's hair deeply. A man. A bottle blond man.

_Oh… oh SHIT!_

Izaya nearly jumped when it all flooded back to him, the realization taking about a total of thirty seconds from the initial waking. But then the thought better of it and stopped the reflexive yank away. What better way to fuck with Shizuo? He _had_ been an amazing lover after all…

Shizuo didn't want to wake up. So when his hand was squeezed and a soft "Hey…" tickled his ear he only grumbled something about not wanting to get up and rolled away, deeper into the pillow. Then he was shaken gently. "Wake up."

"Five more minutes…" he mumbled.

"I'll jump on you…"

"Piss off…" At least that's what it sounded like through the pillow.

"You asked for it…" And then Shizuo was thrown into awareness by a crushing weight bouncing on his hip and ribs. "GOOD MORNING, SHIZU-CHAN!"

"**MOTHERFUCK!"**

"Wasn't last night FUN, Shizu-chan? We should totally do this again sometime!"

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF-!"

"Ooh, can we be a couple now? But that would be awkward to explain, wouldn't it? And I'm totally seme, you can be the uke-"

"IZAYA!"

"What a mindfuck! You! The uke!"

Shizuo reached for his lamp and was about to smash it over Izaya's head when the flickblade was at his throat. He froze mid swing and just glared deeply into Izaya's flashing eyes. That evil schemer was fucking with him again, he knew it! The way he was smirking was … was just...

"You bastard," Shizuo huffed, leaning against the blade to draw Izaya into a rough kiss.

_Was just like Psyche._

The flickblade clattered to the floor as Izaya eagerly reciprocated. _Hold on... I'm the one in control..._ Izaya thought, but oh how Shizuo held his lips captive! He tasted delicious – his tongue, his lips, his jaw, his ear, his neck … all of it. Nipple, chest, belly, pelvis, legs... "Oh fuck I hate you..." Izaya breathed, stroking Shizuo's erection and working his fingers around his entrance.

"I told you –!"

"Fuck that." Izaya gave Shizuo's cock a thorough coating with his mouth and forced him to moan. It was hot to make his body do things without his consent. It was hot to control him. Izaya used the saliva as lubricant into Shizuo's ass and was in position before he could seriously protest.

"You fucker!" Shizuo hissed, then groaned as Izaya began to penetrate. "You _mother_fucker..."

"If you didn't like it, I wouldn't be doing it, would I?" Izaya laughed heatedly. "Damn, you're tight..."

"Auh..." was all Shizuo could reply with, jolts of pain punctuated with a fantastic sort of pleasure stealing his breath and words away. Especially when Izaya had gotten himself all the way in and thrust into him in a way that made him want to come with hardly any manipulation at all. He'd definitely done this with a man before, as Shizuo found himself clumsy in comparison. "AUUHH!" he repeated louder, dropping the lamp at last to the carpet so the hand could now latch onto Izaya's hair. For some reason, he loved running his fingers through those follicles and pulling mercilessly. Izaya was not complaining. In fact it seemed to encourage him. _"Dammit, goddammit!"_

"Pull harder, Shizu-chan..."

"Yeah..."

"HARDER!"

Shizuo yanked. "FUCK yeah... urgh, I'll kill you!"

"Keep talking..."

"I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you!" he shouted as Izaya fucked him with abandon. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"YES, Shizu-chan! FUCK yes!"

"Shit-shit-shit-shit!" Shizuo cursed as he came in Izaya's hand, just as he hit a spot inside of him that made him dizzy.

"MM!" was Izaya's final cry. Shizuo shuddered from the feeling within him. This had gotten way out of hand now – they weren't even "role-playing" anymore, this had been the two of them, not Tsugaru and Psyche. "Okay, okay … let go now," Izaya told him after a minute, pulling his head slightly away from Shizuo's grip.

Shizuo tightened it. "I should snap your neck for making me do this," he growled.

"Make you do what now?" Izaya laughed dubiously, despite the dangerous position he was in. "If I recall, I heard quite a few words of _encouragement_ on your part. If my recollection serves me right – YOU started with ME this time! I'd hardly call that rape … unless of course you're _into_ that sort of thing-"

Shizuo threw him back and covered his face. Ugh, the morning of shame! "RRRGGHH! What the fuck is going on?"

"Not too sure," Izaya said with a shrug, black-flipping off the bed and rummaging for his clothing. "Meh! Whatever it is …"

"What?" Shizuo prompted, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

Izaya was mostly dressed already. He threw his parka over his shoulder and flicked his blade in salute with a wink. _"It's fun._ See you, Shizu-chan!" And he was out the door. "Oh!" he called over his shoulder. "I already arranged for you to take the day off, so relax, eh?" Laughter, then the door slamming.

Shizuo looked at the alarm clock and jumped. It was almost two in the afternoon. He fumbled for his cellphone and ended up in the kitchen, doing the one legged dance through his pants when he found it on the floor next to the table. It had vibrated clear off.

**6 missed calls: Tanaka Tom, 2 new text messages.**

**11:39am Tanaka Tom: **_**Never mind Shizuo-chan, take a few days off, I've got business covered for a bit.**_

**1:24pm Sturlston Celty: **_**How have you been? Can we meet in the usual spot tonight to catch up?**_

Shizuo raised an eyebrow. What was Izaya …? He shook his head. This just kept getting weirder.

He threw the formal pants aside and sat on the couch wearing just his boxers in a daze.

What would he tell Celty?


	6. Introspection

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Six**

**Introspection**

The parking lot next to the highway was dimly lit by a broken streetlamp, casting a sad orange glow to the abandoned lot, illuminating garbage and a sleeping homeless man under a box a ways off. A billboard of a long forgotten line of restaurants lay weather-ridden and forgotten, replaced by a slew of electronic ones, no doubt.

Celty pulled up with an eerie whinny and found Shizuo smoking patiently against a guardrail. "Yo," he greeted with a small wave. She pulled out her smartphone.

_**I got worried when you didn't answer my text earlier.**_

"Ah, don't worry about it. Work stuff."

_**Really? Shinra said that Tom told him you had the day off.**_

Shizuo sort of sent of an uncomfortable vibe. Celty knew he was lying by the way he changed his posture when he crossed his arms and turned away slightly. She tilted her helmet as he cleared his throat. "Ah, well..."

_**You know you can tell me anything, right?**_

Shizuo sighed when he saw the text and leaned his head to one side. Celty was intensely curious at this ;point. She had known him since he and Shinra went to Raira, and watched him mature into a reasonable man (save when he was angry of course). She couldn't deny a quick pang of jealousy before quelling it. It was obvious.

He'd met someone.

"I've got a ... Pest problem."

Celty's body reflected a surprised gesture. _**Are you referring to Orihara?**_

Shizuo frowned on instinct upon seeing his name. It deepened when he thought about the terrible and wonderful night before. A stab of guilt quickly passed however. He'd always had a small thing, but Shinra had made it very clear – especially recently – that Celty was his and his alone. How was this different from a hook up from Tom?

Because he felt something. Something awful in his chest. It disgusted him, and he tried not to think about it.

"Yeah..." he said slowly, scratching his head. Celty suddenly looked as if she were laughing as her shoulders heaved. It was eerie without any sound. "Hey, what's so funny?"

It took her a moment to compose herself enough to tap out her response. _**I was so right LOL**_

"What?"

_**You two hooked up, didn't you?**_

Shizuo's face turned bright red, and instantly Celty knew she was right, despite the very sharp, "Are you out of your MIND?"

Celty again was making motions as if she were laughing, holding her chest in what would have been hysteria. _**Oh lord, we were right!**_

"No way! That's not it at all!"

_**Come on, Shizuo. Admit it. You've got hickies on your neck! What would you do without him anyway? We had a running bet you know.**_

"You bet on this?"

_S__**hinra said you would kill each other first. I said you would have freaky alleyway sex first. I just won almost a grand! This is too much! Karisawa is simply going to die! **_Celty had to stop typing for a moment to regain her composure. The look Shizuo was giving her was sobering – horrified, as if he'd just realized it himself._** Hey, are you alright?**_

"Alright? _Alright?_ Celty, this is bad! Really fucking bad!" Shizuo sat down on the guardrail and held his head. "Izaya. Orihara _fucking_ Izaya! I have no idea whether to kick his ass or … or ..." _Or fuck the living hell out of him again..._

Celty put a gloved hand on his shoulder and presented her phone so that Shizuo could see it. _**How did it happen ?**_

"It all started with those fucked up dreams..."

Celty's interest was even more piqued. _**Dreams?**_

"Yeah. I was a guy named … Tsugaru. And he was someone named Psyche."

_**That's uncanny.**_

"Tell me about it."

_**No, I mean the characters of the Tsugaru name. If you were to make it an anagram, Tsuru would be bow string, Tsu simply means steal. Remind you of anything?**_

"Uh..."

_**Greek myth?**_

"Uhh..."

_**Eros? Stealer of hearts and arranger of love?**_

Celty hung her head in frustration at the blank look Shizuo gave her and brought up the browser on her phone so she could direct him to a myth site. _**Read "Eros and Psyche"**_

Shizuo scrolled down, not making too much a correlation. A beautiful girl that had earned Aphrodite's wrath … Eros saving her from a curse by falling in love with her … Eros assisting her in a series of trials to earn his love from his mother... and a happily ever after. "...So?" he finally asked, handing the phone back.

_**Perhaps Izaya was testing you.**_

"Whatever."

_**Perhaps the two entities are using you as vassals to express their love to each other. You two share such an intense relationship.**_

"Relationship? Celty, I HATE –"

_**Hate is intense, isn't it? A wise man once said that love and hate are the same, simply directed different places. **_

Shizuo was quiet. What _would_ he do without Izaya? Lead a peaceful life? Somehow, the thought struck his as incredibly boring. And strangely undesired. It was as if he centered his entire existence on causing Izaya harm – which he had only succeeded once in even scathing him for the past eight years. And that really hadn't been fair if he were to admit it – Izaya had been so thoroughly immersed in his little string-pulling with those highschoolers last year that he couldn't resist bashing his head with that convenience store trash can. He almost felt bad when that had happened, but at the time he was too excited to have actually laid a hit and moved in for the kill. Too bad for all those Dollar-wannabes who had unwittingly aided his escape.

_**Is it really that horrible?**_

"Yeah."

_**Why? Can't you just put the past behind you? I can't really see Orihara in a healthy relationship of any kind, but can't you at least set your differences aside to figure this out? At least for now?**_

"I haven't even told you the strangest part you know..."

Celty tilted her helmet to inquire.

"He had the same dreams. The EXACT same ones."

Celty was still for a moment, then typed a slow message, as if she were considering carefully what to say next. The backspace key was mashed more than a few times before the message came out right.

_**If I had my head, I think I would remember more clearly, but I believe there is some Celtic lore about the Seelie* and Unseelie* fae courts having sway over the realm of dreams. **_

"Aren't you a faerie?"

_**I guess so**_

"So what's a Dullahan? Seelie or Unseelie?"

_**Not too sure. Again, my head would hold more information, but I'll have Shinra look it up. He's not as knowledgeable as Orihara is about these things but – **_

"Go ahead, ask the bastard," Shizuo sighed, waving the phone away before he finished reading it and taking another drag. "I'm sure his … _insight_ … despite being biased in the matter would be useful. Better you ask than me."

_**Why's that?**_

Shizuo's face softened, then tensed again in a strange emotion, one that Celty had never seen him wear before, so it was hard to place. "Because..."

Celty uneasily changed lanes using her signal and exited off the freeway as she saw a troop of traffic police blow by in the other lane, mocking a sigh of relief when they continued on their current call as opposed to hounding her. She was worried for her friend. Very worried all of the sudden.

"_Because I'm scared, Celty."_

*Seelie is pronounced in proper Celtic myth as "Shee"


	7. Rumination

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Seven**

**Rumination**

Namie jumped when Izaya brushed past her to get into his refrigerator. "Yo," he mumbled.

"Jesus! You scared the living hell out of me."

"That's unusual, you're glare could usually rape me as soon as I walk in, Ice Queen..."

"That's because you usually waltz in singing or chattering about your latest victim or you're on your phone," Namie sneered coldly. She handed him a receipt. "Under $100, as _requested. _And the rice is in the dish cupboard, I couldn't find a spot for it._"_

Izaya loved the fact that she hated him and had to practically serve his every whim for his protection, grocery shopping and all. Normally he would delight in her bristle, but he just rummaged to the back of the fridge and fished out a bottle of vodka. "Hm," he acknowledged before he took a few gulps.

Namie looked surprised in a sort of weirded out way. "What's with you? Heiwajima-kun finally beat the living hell out of you?"

Izaya smiled and leaned against the counter, remembering last night with a gleeful expression. "You could say that," he chuckled, looking at the bruises on his wrists.

"Hmph. You would deserve it."

"Totally worth it."

"If anyone has more a right to hate you, it's Shizuo-san," Namie told him with her arms crossed. "What are you writing?"

Izaya handed her a list from a legal pad and took another drink. "Something to keep you busy while I work."

"_'Cow and Chicken?' 'The Golden Girls?' 'Rocko's Modern Life?' 'House?' 'Naruto?'"_ Namie read off in confusion. "What is this?"

"My DVR box still needs to be reprogrammed," Izaya told her, making his way to his bedroom with his laptop under his arm. "Those are a list of all the shows I want recorded on a regular basis."

"There's almost twenty shows here... and most of it's on American TV."

"So what's that give me, like … two hours given the state of your technical obliviousness with entertainment equipment?"

Namie sighed and glared at Izaya. He just laughed and skipped down the hallway to his bedroom and slammed the door.

Then he locked it and sat down on the floor very hard.

Shizu-chan. What just happened? Izaya ran his fingers over the skin on his arms and wriggled a bit with a shudder. It had been better than even he could have imagined, and yet a very uneasy feeling had settled in his chest. Unnerving even.

Was it so wrong that he had just wanted to stay in bed with Shizuo all day? He was half hard at the thought of it. It would be easy enough to arrange another encounter, the man was easy enough to manipulate. But … Izaya wanted him to WANT another encounter. It was a strange urge, and one that Izaya couldn't quite pin.

He rose slowly and sat on the edge of his bed, thinking to himself with a smirk. "Oh how fitting..." he murmured. Then he threw back his head and laughed. "This is just FANTASTIC!"

"Shouting isn't helping me program this piece of crap!" Namie called from out in the lounge in annoyance.

Izaya lay back and laughed to himself for an unknown amount of time. He must have fallen asleep with the amusing thought because he was startled awake by a rap on the door. It was dark outside. "Izaya-san, I don't know or care what you're doing in there, but you have a guest."

"Eh?" Unexpected company? Well this could go either very well or very badly, depending on who it was. Not too many knew where his office was – to dig up information on an information dealer's turf was notoriously difficult. So it was either someone determined for his services, a repeat customer, or someone he knew well. It was not a very long list.

Izaya curled up on his shoulders and sprung himself off the bed, answering the door with an inquisitive look. "Oh dear. What time is it?"

"The end of my shift," Namie told him flatly, handing him her time-card. "I'll be in at ten tomorrow, _please_ do your dishes for yourself for once."

"Nine then." Izaya waved. "Then why are you still here? Ooh, can I get some coffee – ?"

"Get it yourself," she snapped, then marched out.

"Ah, she's still pissed I didn't call the next morning," Izaya chuckled, then looked up at his guest with a dirty smile. "Is it like that with Dullahan's too, Celty-chan?"

_**I wouldn't know.**_

Izaya sat on the couch across from her and leaned in to read the message and grinned. "I'm curious as to what a Dullahan's response to rejection would be is all..."

_**That's not why I'm here.**_

"Oh?" Izaya asked, rising to pour some coffee. For some reason, he just couldn't sit still all of the sudden. It wasn't the fact that he was hoarding her head, it was more that she seemed to know something he didn't. "You didn't come to discuss proper post-coitus etiquette?"

_**No, you pervert.**___Then she paused and typed again. _**Well, then again...**_

"What's this all out of the blue?" Izaya laughed, sitting back on the couch and sipping the bitter brown brew. He made a face. "Ugh. Namie-chan sucks at making coffee."

_**I don't need marriage counseling if that's what you're thinking.**_

"How IS sex without a head?" Izaya mused. "I'm intrigued..."

Celty shrugged. _**Go ask Shinra for all I care. I'm here to talk to you about Shizuo.**_

Izaya spit some coffee out and caught himself with a napkin to save his shirt. Surprise was a rare thing in his business, and personal affairs were dangerous to have out in the open. "Shizu-chan?" he asked, voice slightly higher than he would have preferred. "What about him?"

Celty made motions of her eerie silent laugh before she typed her thoughts for Izaya to read. _**Just as I thought.**_

"What are you talking about?"

_**Don't play dumb, Izaya. It's plastered all over your face, and Shizuo is cake to read.**_

Izaya smiled. To continue to deny the truth that Celty obviously was aware of would be unwarranted at this point. "Ah yes, that delicious encounter last night. He's an amazing lover you know. Or has Shinra allowed that at all for you?"

_**Stop trying to turn the conversation back on me. I'm actually here to threaten you, so don't play games.**_

"Oh?" Izaya asked cheerfully. "Haven't we been through this before?"

_**Not about Shizuo. Just what do you think you have at stake in this?**_

"I don't understand the question," Izaya told her, turning his head with a smirk. _She's so jealous it's cute..._

Her shadow whipped out from her hand and wrapped around Izaya's neck, pulling him over the coffee table and threatening to strangle. How he kept his composure so valiantly was beyond Celty – it's like the man took nothing seriously, not even his very own life. She tapped one-handedly and showed him her angry words via wordpad app, enlarging the text so he was sure to get the point.

_**DO NOT. **__**FUCK WITH HIM, IZAYA. **__** It's one thing to try and kill each other, which we all know you two will never be able to follow through on. But to toy with his emotions is cruel and uncalled for. Take your 'hobbies' elsewhere, do you understand?**_

"Are we jealous – ?Ngh..." Celty tightened her shadow around his throat, cutting the quip short.

_**I'm serious, Orihara. **_

"Those of us with heads... need to breathe..." Izaya managed, straining his smile though his face was turning reddish purple. Celty released him, throwing him back across to his seat on the opposite couch. "Was that necessary?"

_**To get my point across, yes. There is another reason I've come to you.**_

"Besides protecting Shizu-chan's fragile little heart?" Izaya snickered. "You know I don't go cheap..."

Celty threw five bills on the coffee table. _**Shizuo told me about your dreams. I want you to tell me what you know about Eros and Psyche, and any possible connection between them and you.**_

Izaya leaned back and thought. "Intriguing correlation! Surely you realize that my opinion is colored in the matter?"

_**As if you care.**_

"Don't I?" Izaya asked, wearing an unreadable expression. Celty assumed he was lying and the way she crossed her arms and her shadow sort of huffed indicated disbelief. "Well I suppose that doesn't matter, does it? As for the correlation between the Greek myth and our dreams... wouldn't that be a Celtic or Voudon association?"

_**I see why Shizuo hates you so much. Just tell me what you know.**_

"Well on the Celtic side of the coin, the Seelie fae are all about the world of Dreaming, in which they weave messages or even whisk mortals off into their land each night. Some say it is to protect our minds from the sheer Truth of the Universe. Peter Carroll once said 'just as the sun blinds us to the stars during the day, so does the waking mind blind us to the truth in sleep.' Quite metaphysically philosophical, no?"

_**And Voudon?**_

"Whenever preforming a ritual of any kind, practitioners of Voudon dance wildly to drumming in order to induce a sort of waking alpha or delta state, otherwise known as trance. Once the correct state of mind is achieved, they are open to receive a spirit, which 'rides' them until the ceremony is complete. Catholics call it 'possession.' Wiccans call it 'Drawing Down the Moon or Sun.' Whatever the tradition, the same thing occurs, which is why I'm not surprised at all that this dream thing spans over cultures across the world."

_**For being so involved, you don't sound very interested.**_

"Ah, but I am, do you know why?" Izaya told her, at last ceasing to file his nails to look her in the shadow. Celty shrugged. "Because it's happening in my lovely little city. I love Ikebukuro. I love the humans in it, and I love the fact that the supernatural seems to flock there in droves. This … this is fascinating! Shizu-chan's inhuman strength, the Saika, the Headless Rider and now Riding Spirits! This is WONDERFUL!"

_**How is this funny?**_

"Because I'm the one they are targeting!" Izaya laughed. Then he sobered. "Of course, this means I'm not the one moving the chess pieces anymore, so the illusion of Godhood is shattered, for better or worse. This will not do at all."

_**A God complex? You? Never.**_

Izaya fingered a chess piece with a thoughtful smile, then placed the black knight between a black and a white Othello pieces along side another knight – the white one. "I need to know who is pulling the strings now if it's not me. Clearly it's a magical or mythical force, and my first guess would actually be _you._ You're still a suspect, of course." Izaya put the white queen in one of the corners of his board.

_**Regardless of whether or not you believe me, as the money was not a deterrent to my guilt in the matter, it wasn't me. I don't think I would have dropped that much cash if I already knew what was going on.**_

"True. But as you said, the money could have been a distraction. So much of course weighs in your favor, but that doesn't get you off the list quite yet." Izaya placed the black queen in the second corner. "A piece of the puzzle I haven't had a chance to move in quite a while. I think I'll have a little chat with her next." He pocketed two bills and pushed the remaining three back at Celty. "You do it. I think she's still mad at me for that stunt last year hahaha! If I do, I'd rather speak to her on my home turf. Send her here if she has any qualms to settle with me..."

_**And who am I asking, exactly?**_

"Who else?" Izaya chuckled. "Sonohara Anri-chan of course!"


	8. Check

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Eight**

**Check**

_A/N: Minor2 now applies. Updates will be slower; internet has become scarce. Thanks for stickin with me!_

Sonohara Anri sat fidgeting in Izaya's office, waiting for him to get off of the phone. She looked at her shoes as she played with a ring on her finger that Mikado had won at a fair for her. She looked at the clock on the wall which read 5:37pm, then back at her shoes. It had been almost a year since she had seen Orihara Izaya last, and it had not been a pleasant affair. Wasn't he worried that she would try and Slash him again? Or perhaps he was confident in his ability to fend her off, as she had failed before.

"Umm... excuse me, Orihara-san. I hate to interrupt..."

"Quite alright, Anri-chan," Izaya assured her. "So we'll postpone our meeting until tomorrow night, Shiki-san. … Right, right. See you then." He put his phone back on his dock charger and leaned over his desk, entwining his fingers in a most business-like manner. "I knew Celty-chan would send you back here... she's too nice."

"Uh... can I ask what this is all about?" Anri asked nervously. Celty had been vague.

_**I can't really say for sure with confidence.**_

_Anri glanced over at Mikado, who had been happy to see his old friend the Black Biker at first but was now wearing a worried expression. "This doesn't have to do with the Dollars, does it?" he asked tensely._

_**Not that I know of. As another supernatural force in Ikebukuro, someone wants to ask you a few questions about another strange occurrence, Anri...**_

"I'll be strait with you … _Saika,"_ Izaya told her, pointedly addressing her as the ethereal sword she wielded. Or her online identity, she wasn't sure. Anri narrowed her eyes. Mikado had begged her to be very careful around the information dealer, and she knew exactly why. It had taken all her power of persuasion in order to deter him from accompany her. "Since you're so good at possessing people, do you induce dreams as well?"

"Dreams?" Anri repeated.

"Come now, don't play dumb. Here is my theory: Saika has always had eyes for Shizu-chan because of his strength. In a way, I suppose that means you do too. Older, _real_ men do it for you, huh Anri-chan?"

Anri felt her face get warm. "Don't be lude, Orihara-san!"

"You're adorable when you blush! Mikado-kun must have his hands full with you..."

"Um... can we just get to the point?"

"Well to get to Shizu-chan, you wanted to go through me, am I right?" Anri gave him a blank stare, and Izaya looked confused. "I'm wrong? Oh my, this hasn't happened in a long time..."

"You're... experiencing something supernatural then?" Anri asked carefully.

"Quite!" Izaya chirped happily, walking over to his Klin Zha board and knocking over the black queen in the corner. "You're a terrible liar, so I know it's not you. Oh, this is getting interesting..."

Anri might have been socially awkward, but she was smart. This meant several things. Izaya was caught up in something under the category of "strange happenings in Ikebukuro." He didn't know something and despite his chatty and casual demeanor, he must have been frustrated. Most of all it meant...

"You can't play your game if you're one of the pieces," Anri said quietly. Namie set a cup of tea in front of her and she bowed slightly. "Oh, thank you very much." Namie didn't reply, she simply pulled her coat and jacket on to leave for some unspoken errand.

"Ah, you have an inkling as to why I'm asking Saika then," Izaya said with a nod. "Surely you understand why I would think you were behind this. Your blade there is oh so good at loving people you know..."

"Love?"

"Love can express itself in many forms you see. You slash them. I manipulate them. Mikado-kun pawns off charity or good deeds or whatever through the Dollars. We all love people you see. Gods included. I'm just curious as to why _we_ get caught in the crossfire..."

"We... ? Um, who else is all involved in this?" Anri asked, praying the answer wouldn't be Kida or Mikado.

Izaya laughed. "None other than your beloved Shizu-chan! But that's giving you a little too much leverage, so I'll leave it at that. Hmmmm..." He scratched his head, fingering another chess piece with an inquisitive look. "Who else? Who else has experienced such a strange relationship?"

"If you are referring to 'love' in a twisted but purer sense, then I might direct you to a couple you've forgotten about," Anri said carefully. "But I would want something in exchange."

Izaya grinned evilly. "Now you're speaking my language. You're pretty smart for a high-schooler. Especially a parasite such as yourself. Tell me, what would you ask in return?"

"I want to know where Kida-kun is."

Izaya raised his eyebrows with an amused grin. "You know, for not being able to love other people, you've put yourself in a strange situation with those two boys... it must make Saika angry..."

_Cut him! Love him! _

Anri shifted uncomfortably and ordered the sword to cease. "We're not talking about my relationship with Saika."

Izaya smirked and threw himself back into his office chair, spinning, then flying his fingers across a keyboard. "Osaka. Saki-chan and Kida-kun are in Osaka, at least that's where their last credit card transaction was this morning. Though the money I transferred to Saki-chan for their little honeymoon should be running out soon. Give him a few more weeks, he'll be back. I'm sure of it."

Anri's heart jumped and she almost forgot her end of the deal until she felt Izaya's intense stare settle on her after a few moments. "Oh! Ah... well, I was thinking you may have forgotten about Harima-san and Seiji-kun."

Izaya frowned. He did NOT want to be compared to the likes of them. A stalker and a freak. How could they parallel his and Shizuo's … wait, what was he thinking? Just thinking the word made him shudder, especially directed in Shizuo's direction. Ugh, how troublesome...

However, it was worthwhile information. Perhaps they were not the only ones being "ridden" by such strange spirits. He placed two white pawns next to the knights in the middle of the board and thought, almost forgetting Anri was there.

Her meek, "Umm..." reminded him that she was sitting there, adjusting her glasses and finding her shoes ever so interesting.

"What if I refuse?" Izaya called out suddenly into the air, startling Anri. "What if I fuck someone else, eh? I don't believe in ordained fate, you know! I am not to be controlled, I CONTROL YOU!"

Anri inched away, getting worried. She knew Izaya was messed up, but had never witnessed his strange obsession with control before. So when he pounced on her, it was not fear, but shock and anger that shot through her while Izaya's grip squeezed her breasts mercilessly. _"Orihara-san!"_ she shrieked.

He was using her to try and escape this supernaturalness that had gripped him. Anri hated him for it. Saika was reveling in the attention. He bit into her neck and Anri's eyes flashed red, readying the katana to cut him to ribbons.

Saika refused.

_Why? _Anri demanded as Izaya ripped open her uniform in a frantic heat only he knew the source of. _Why do you fail me now?_

_Let him love you! Want to be loved. Then give him my steel kiss and love him back! Let him hold us, Mother, let him show his love!_

_This isn't love!_

_What is, then? I cut; I slash. I love. He touches; he manipulates ... he loves._

Anri closed her eyes and let the red glow die in her. She did NOT love Izaya, that was a fact. But as with all things, she would let this happen. As with NasujimaTakeshi , so with this. It was only fair if she were to slash him to reciprocate after all.

"You know I'm using you," Izaya breathed into her neck as he laid her chest bare to assault it with his lips and teeth. "But you're going to enjoy this, Anri-chan. I don't _rape_ teenage girls; I'm not a _total_ monster..."

"Do as you will," she simply said, then gasped as he brought her nipples to life with little nibbles on the dark nubs. It sent a shiver through her. A shameful shiver.

"Deny away," he laughed quietly, guiding his hand between her legs. There was only slight resistance as a deep blush filled her face. "Here, I'll even let you come first..." Anri gasped and turned away as his fingers slid into her, gently thrusting, then plunging deep, exploring the inside of her in a horribly wonderful way. "Ahh, you play at the innocent type but you know better, don't you? Let's hope Nasujima taught you well..."

"That was lost long before Nasujima-sensei," Anri managed, biting down a moan and clutching the couch cushion. Oh god, his _fingers!_ Once his thumb hit her clitoris she couldn't help it – she doused his palm with a restrained cry through her pursed lips. "Mmmmf!"

"What a sad story," Izaya mocked, standing back and bringing his stiffened cock out after licking her orgasm off of his fingers. He lifted her legs nearly over her head as he loomed over her so she was curled on her back and neck, leaving her slick and exposed to his eager eyes. "Let's make it sadder."

Izaya penetrated Anri slowly and deeply at first, letting a moan escape as the legs over his shoulders tensed upon entry. Every man had a school-girl fantasy, but not too many had the opportunity to fulfill it. She was tight and hot and wet … far more modest than Namie and did he mention tight? "Ohhh Anri-chan … so _good!_ I'm gonna pound you so hard..."

"Ahhmmm..." Anri replied heatedly, trying not to beg him to follow through on those words. He was teasing her in an agonizing way with his slow pace, as if he were savoring it. Her pussy throbbed with desire.

"What was that?" Izaya purred.

"Mmmplease..." she mumbled meekly, curling her toes by his ears.

"I can't hear you, Anri-chan, you're so quiet..."

"Izaya-san, please just do it!" Anri cried, rolling her hips to grind into him in order to encourage.

He let his head roll back and licked his lips with a smile. "Oh, if you insist." He pulled almost all the way out then drove into her as far as he could go, making her cry out at last, twisting about and grasping at the fur of his parka. Pulling out again, he impaled her again. And again. And again until he was pounding into her as deep as he could force them together at a frantic pace. His cock was reaching all sorts of places inside of Anri that she didn't know could ever cause that kind of mind-numbing pleasure. Never had sex been so enjoyable, it had always been something to endure.

"Oh! Oh-oh-oh god, Izaya-saaaaaan!" Anri sang as Izaya rammed into her, too heady with the delicious friction to reply in more than huffs and moans.

"Fuck...!" he breathed.

"Ohhhhgod-oh-god-oh-god!"

"F-FFFUCK!" Izaya pulled out and came all over her magnificent breasts, catching his breath then sighing heavily. "Goddammit."

"Huh?"

Izaya tossed her a tissue box and zipped his pants. _"Still_ not good enough! Why? Why Shizu-chan? Dammit-dammit-dammit, why is this happening?" He turned and put his hands behind his back with a troubled look.

_Now!_

Izaya didn't even turn, he just blocked the katana with a quick jerk of his arm – the flickblade was behind his back, catching the blade with seemingly no effort at all. He turned his head and smirked at Anri, still half naked with a furious red glow in her eyes. "Nice try, Saika."

"Why do you think I would let you do such a terrible thing!" Anri cried.

Izaya maneuvered the sword away from him as he turned to face her, assuming a sort of battle-ready stance. "I never agreed to let you slash me in exchange for seeing if getting off on someone else was possible. That was just me being selfish."

Anri swung again, but Izaya twirled away. "Hold still!"

"That's ridiculous! Pass on mind control, thanks. Besides, you liked it. Was it so terrible?" Anri only slashed again, once again failing to lay even the slightest cut on the acrobatic bastard. "Hey, deja vu!"

"I won't let you toy with my peaceful life again!" Anri shouted.

"Ah, you're referring to Mikado-kun and his Dollars," Izaya laughed. "Well, the Dollars are a formidable group still, so I can't guarantee they won't become involved. But this is personal my dear. I'll leave Mikado out of it if I can."

Anri slashed again but was spun around and shoved into the bathroom. "You – !"

"Clean up. I'm not getting in trouble for a bomb of a jailbait like yourself! Besides, its common courtesy!" Izaya waved facetiously and shut the door in her face. "Soap's on the back of the toilet!"

Anri stood there for a moment, then let Saika dissipate. May as well. It wasn't like she could walk down the street with her breasts exposed and covered in cum.

She didn't say anything on her way out. She just made a beeline for the door when she was clean and tried to avoid Izaya's attention, which was absorbed in the internet at the moment.

"See you later, Anri-chan!" he called happily.

Anri slammed the door an ran.


	9. Deja Vu

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Nine **

**Deja Vu**

"Tsugaru..."

"Psyche...oh PSYCHE!"

"Come for me...!"

"AAHH!"

"Yyyeeeeeeesssssss!"

It was odd. Shizuo never remembered anything said between the two other than the sounds of bliss they made when they embraced. Psyche leaned his head on Tsugaru's shoulder and sighed. "This isn't good."

"Not at all."

"They're onto us."

"Well one of them is smart like that. The other is incredibly intuitive. They know, Psyche. This will have to end until we find another pair that share this intense of a relationship..."

"Why does it always have to end like this?"

"I don't know."

"Tsu-chan..."

"Hm?"

"Tsu-chan, tell me. Tell me just in case this is the last time. If they Wake, it's done for who knows how long..."

"I love you Psyche."

"I love you Tsugaru."

Shizuo actually rose to the sound of his cellphone alarm troubled. The interaction was left a strange tone over the twilight state of wake and sleep. He felt Tsugaru's sorrow and the possibility of having to be separate from Psyche. He almost felt bad for them...

But not bad enough to keep seeing Izaya.

"_Fuck..." Shizuo cursed as she lowered herself upon his upright member, reveling in her wetness. She looked over her shoulder and smiled, her face a flushed pink with an elated expression on her face, like a fantasy of hers was being fulfilled. He wouldn't doubt it either, the way she fawned..._

The pest had been gone for a whole three days, but instead of a small amount of relaxation, Shizuo was tense. God have mercy on the clients Tom was haggling that day, for many a man went flying in the air with an assortment of objects, most large and heavy.

Having marginal control over his rage proved beneficial. He was reaching for the closest vehicle to throw. His grip tightened on the fender of the closest van when a hand grabbed his wrist. He glared at the offender, ready to chuck him along with said van when Kadota shook his head.

"Please don't. Togusa-kun is ready to have a heart attack."

Shizuo forgot about the endebted client and the rage dissolved. "Hey. Sorry."

Tugosa sat down hard on the curb, looking a strange shade of blue, as if he'd forgotten to breath the minute Shizuo laid a hand on his precious Italian van. Last time he'd lost a door. He was thanking a deity under his breath when Erika and Walker poked their heads out from the back.

"Hey! Its hard to discuss the mechanics of the relationship between Kurai and Arachne when we're getting bounced around, no?" Walker called, his girlfriend looking annoyed at first.

"Oh, Dotachin! It's Shizu-chan!" Erika cried happily once she realized who it was, jumping out with a grin.

"Don't call me that," they said together.

_His hands reached around to her breasts, squeezing them gently so as not to hurt her. Too much. She moaned and arched her back, rocking into him harder and faster. "Ooh, Shizuo-san …. ooooh oh yes, you're so BIG!"_

"Oi! Shizuo-chan!" Tom called.

"My bad," Shizuo replied.

"I'm pretty much done for the night, don't worry about it."

"Sure." Shizuo turned and bumped strait into Erika, who had a dreamy look in her eye. "Uh, can I help you?"

She presented a worn sketchbook to him, still starry-eyed. "Heiwajima-san, would you sign the doujin I drew?" she giggled sheepishly.

"DON'T!" everyone else shouted. Walker reached to grab it, but Erika crouched around her work, protecting it from his grabs.

"Do you WANT him to destroy this van?" Togusa cried anxiously.

"But he inspires me so much!" Erika wailed. "The precious dynamic of seme and uke is at stake here! I'll do anything, Shizuo-sama! Anything! Pleeeeeeeeeeease?"

"What are you talking about?" Shizuo asked, prying the book from Erika's arms despite Walker's protests.

"DON'T READ THAT!" he cried desperately. "Trust me, Heiwajima-san! It would make you very, very angry! Whatever she would do for you to sign it, I'll double for you not to even look at it!"

Shizuo glanced over at Kadota, who was chuckling to himself. Togusa was about ready to panic. Tom approached from behind him wearing a smile. "Well Shizuo-chan? I think you should take his girlfriend for a night to blow off some steam."

Erika blushed deeply. "REALLY?"

"Eh?" Walker demanded.

"You said anything..." Tom pointed out. "Double anything in fact."

"Unbelievable..." Kadota chuckled.

"Just please don't hurt my van!" Togusa begged.

"If it means you won't read that beautifully drawn atrocity, then take her!" Walker shouted.

"Settled then," Tom agreed.

"Wha...? Hey!" Shizuo interjected. Was he just set up with Karisawa Erika?

Erika was squealing in delight as Togusa relaxed and hopped in the drivers seat. Kadota smirked and waved, taking shotgun, as always.

"Be back in time for the Kaori Yuki signing in the morning!" Walker called cheerfully from the side door.

Erika waved happily. "You rock, Yuma-chi! Muah!" she blew him a kiss and hooked her arm in Shizuo's as her friends drove off.

Tom smirked. "There you have it. Take the rest of the night off, Shizuo-chan. You need it."

"But... what...? Hey..."

"Have fun!"

He looked down at Erika ogling him. "Wait, what just happened?" he asked dumbly.

"Oh, we should so make a night out of this!" Erika gushed, beginning to pull Shizuo along.

"Hey – !"

"Let's go to Sunshine 60! Oh, but first, what should we do for dinner? Russia Sushi maybe? I love that place!" she continued, yanking him by the elbow down the street. "I mean, who doesn't? Ooh! Tell me about your latest encounter with Iza-chi! Have you finally confessed? OOH! Maybe HE confessed to YOU!"

Shizuo was ever so glad she wasn't looking at him while she pulled him mercilessly forward. There was a pang, as if someone had tied a string to his stomach and had just yanked. He hardened his face as soon as he realized that it had flinched into an expression he wasn't sure of, hoping that there wasn't a blush in his ears. "What the hell are you talking about? I'd confess to bludgeoning him repeatedly with a tire iron!"

"That's so seme!" she shrilled happily.

"_Ooh, talk dirty to me..." she begged as her nails ran along his thighs while she fucked him in the kitchen chair without restraint. Shizuo grunted, hoping it would be enough to tell her that he was enjoying himself just fine. "Pleeeeeease?"_

"Why the hell is the thought of me doing ANYTHING to Izaya-kun except for bashing his stupid face into a brick wall so appealing?" he demanded, snatching his arm back when they walked in before she could drag him any further. Tom thought he needed to get laid or something? He hated when he did that... if he wanted a goddamned lay it wasn't that hard to go to the nearest bar and act too cool to flirt (it hid the fact that he was really not very good at flirting at all).

"Love and hate are so similar!"

"Yeah, in your fantasy manga-land!"

"Are reality and fantasy so different?" Erika pointed out as she slid into a booth.

Shizuo stopped and stood there for a moment. Fantasy and reality...Tsugaru overwhelmed his mind all of the sudden, and of course his feelings and actions towards Psyche. And Psyche was of course...

"Are you alright, Shizu-chan?" Erika asked suddenly.

He could suddenly give a shit what Tsugaru and Psyche wanted. He hated Izaya. Hated, hated, HATED him. This confusion was simply this crazy ghost thing toying with him. There couldn't be anything like that between them – people who didn't love each other fucked all the time. Even people who loathed each other did it.

So he was determined that the incident meant nothing between him and Izaya. Shizuo wasn't even gay, it had been a fluke. It was NOTHING. _Nothing. _ Nothing at all.

And he was going to prove it.

Suddenly Shizuo grabbed Erika's hand and dragged her out of the restaurant, ignoring her inquisitive shriek. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"My place."

Erika pouted over her shoulder and gave his cock a squeeze with her walls, making him moan. It was hot. Hot with her hair down and much longer than he thought it was. Hot with her half naked, dress hiked somewhere around her middle. Hot the way her breasts jiggled when she bounced on his cock. Hot the way her lips that had held his cock in blissful captivity minutes before jutted out and trembled a bit as she begged him to be more vocal in the matter.

"I'm bad at this," he huffed, thrusting his hips up into her as she arched and moaned. Good lord, was this body really twenty years old like she claimed? She was so small and light it was almost like a school-girl fantasy.

"Call me names..." Erika pleaded.

_Tch... fine._ "Slut," he whispered, grabbing her hips and slamming her down into his erection. She let out a climatic wail, clearly coming at the simple gesture. "Whore..." he continued, reaching up to pull a lock of her long black hair. Erika made motions of agreement, which fueled the rushed fucking. "Your boyfriend totally just pimped you out to me. You're mine tonight."

"Ohhhh that makes me come, Shizu-chan!"

"Fuck … _fuck!"_ Fifteen minutes and it was over. Shizuo felt sort of cheated.

He got off yeah, and clearly Erika did, but there was something he couldn't quite reach. It hadn't been a mind-blowing orgasm. Not like Izaya –

What the fuck was he thinking?

Erika rose and tossed her hair out of her face, grinning over her shoulder. "Whew! That was three steps below the ultimate fantasy!"

"I don't want to know," Shizuo told her flatly, buttoning his pants. Oh great, a chatty one. God, how did he end up with her again?

Erika adjusted her dress and smiled shyly. "I did promise Yuma-chi not to show you if he 'pimped me out' as you put it for the night. I honestly wasn't expecting this, I'm thrilled, just so you know."

"Great." _God, just leave..._

She reached into her backpack that had been tossed aside as soon as the door had been opened and pulled out the sketchbook. "You don't have to see it to sign it, ne~?"

"Sure." _If you'll go away, I'll come on the fucking thing if it would scrintch your panties sufficiently. _ Shizuo flipped to the back and took her pen while she squealed in delight. He froze.

The last page had a very accurate rendering of Psyche waving forlornly next to a sakura tree.

He flipped to the beginning and Erika looked startled. "Oh, no! As much as I would love your opinion, Yuma-chi would kill me if you got mad and wrecked something!"

Shizuo ignored her and read the doujin frantically. It was well drawn smut, he would give her that, but even though the images were humiliatingly semblant of Izaya and himself, it was the content that captivated him.

It was Tsugaru and Psyche's encounter in the sakura forest.

"You … where did you get this story?" Shizuo demanded. The words _Try harder_ out of Psyche's mouth drawn with a smirk sent a shiver down his spine. This … this was that dream exactly!

"Oh, I didn't write it, I just drew it," Erika explained modestly. "I actually pulled it of off a Blogger user named Kanra-san. She's a very eloquent writer, you see. She posted this last week and I couldn't help it. Her descriptions of the characters reminded me so much of you and Orihara-san I couldn't resist! Please don't be mad!"

Oh, he knew who Kanra was alright. It made him hate Izaya even more. That ache for Psyche had left him very unsatisfied with the encounter that Erika was kind enough to grace him with (bless her twisted little fushoji soul).

"You're mad, aren't you?" Erika asked sadly, hanging her head.

Shizuo signed the last page and handed it back to her. "Here. I gotta go."

"Huh? Where are you going?"

"Shinjuku."


	10. Truth

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Ten**

**Truth**

_A/N: sorry for infrequent updates. so have a double serving of shizaya! :)_**  
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{[Orihara Izaya]}**  
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Parkuor was more than a simple style Izaya punctuated his fighting skills with. It was a state of mind. Quite literally actually, as the maneuvers were not meant to be competitive in the slightest. It was more frequently dubbed "freerunning" and the entire point of it was to transcend obstacles in creative and ingenious manners. The physical aspect of the graceful leaps and jumps were a simple expression of a higher purpose: to overcome anything in life; to better oneself from day to day.

Ikebukuro was the perfect urban setting to test his skills as the Traceur leaped and vaulted over buildings, cars and railings with ease, just to stay in practice. There was a reason he was here this evening however. The pushing of his bodily limits was just for fun. Seiji's last GPS signal from his most recent text to Namie pinpointed him somewhere between his apartment complex and Sunshine 60, heading towards his home. Mika would no doubt be with him, as she always was. It was child's play to intercept them.

"A stalker and her pet, that's simply adorable," Izaya chuckled from an alleyway as they passed. They stopped, wondering who was addressing them, then Seiji spotted him and tilted his head in suspicious curiosity.

"Who are you?" he asked solemnly.

Izaya emerged from the shadows and put his hands behind his head with a smile. "My name is Orihara Izaya. You would be Yagiri Seiji-kun and Harima Mika-chan, yes?"

Mika pulled a little closer to Seiji, unnerved. "C-can we help you?" she stammered nervously.

"Yes. Yes you can." Izaya began to move towards Seiji's apartment, freerunning up the railing steps with ease. "We should discuss this over tea, yeah?"

Seiji frowned. "Don't interrupt us, we're busy."

"Ah, sixteen. You're at that age. Fun, isn't it?" Izaya called down, stopping at Seiji's door as they made their way up the steps.

"It's none of your business, and I'm seventeen you ass," Seiji snapped. "Hey, the hell are you doing?"

Izaya easily jimmied the lock with his flickblade and just let himself in. Too easy – the lock had been tampered with before, no doubt by Mika before her surgeries.

"No tea? Ah well, coffee will do I guess..." he sighed, starting a pot. Seiji burst in, angry as a wasp and ready to kick him out. "Relax. This is business."

"What business could a freak like you have with me?" he demanded as Mika poked her head in.

"Seiji-san..." she called timidly.

"Not just you, her too," Izaya told him, searching for his mugs in the cupboards. "Where are your coffee mugs?"

Seiji sort of huffed, knowing he wasn't going to be rid the freak so easily and conceded to fetch three mugs from the cupboard above the sink with a scowl. "Look, I don't know who you think you are, but I don't have anything to do with any crazy stunts you pull. So why don't you just leave?"

"I know more about you than you think."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Yagiri Seiji, Yagiri Namie's little brother, in love with the head of a Dullahan," Izaya began, pouring the brew casually into the cups as the color drained from Seiji's face. "He was fooled into thinking that after he committed a supposed murder against his stalker Harima Mika that the head had been attached to his victim's body. Even though that illusion is long dispelled, you two are still quite the couple." Izaya delighted in the expression on both of their faces as he handed them their coffee. "Shall I continue?"

Seiji sat on his couch and gave Izaya a confused, reproachful look. "What do you want?" he asked quietly, knowing damn well that the man could turn his life upsidown in an instant if he so desired.

"Just some information that would be trivial to you, it shouldn't be too hard to cooperate," Izaya told them cheerfully. "Have either of you .. or more specifically _both_ of you … had any strange dreams lately?"

"Dreams?" Mika repeated, confused.

"Let me elaborate. Dreams about each other, but in different bodies, saying things you'd never say, doing things you'd never do and sometimes even leaking into the waking world?"

They both looked at him like he was crazy. "No," Seiji told him dubiously.

"Nothing like that," Mika agreed, sipping her coffee meekly. Then she smiled. "But it sounds romantic, doesn't it Seiji-san?"

"Sure," he agreed absently, not taking his eyes off of Izaya.

_Damn._

"Welp! That takes you off the list then," Izaya told them with an exasperated smile. "Get better coffee for the record, will you? This brand sucks." He put his hands behind him on the back of the couch and pulled his body into a roll off of the back of it, landing on his feet deftly. "Catch you later!" For the hell of it he jumped out the window, catching the lip and scaling back down with ease.

Damn-damn-damn! Another dead end. It seemed Psyche and Tsugaru were the only spirits about riding anyone. Maybe he needed to hire a Voudon exorcist or something to be rid of them, though which brand of theology they might subscribe to mattered little. But then...

Izaya started to wonder if he really wanted to to be rid of Psyche. Bringing Shizu-chan and himself together like that had been a thrilling twist of fate, and though he hated to admit it, the brute had been a marvelous change of pace. What exactly would become of their hateful dynamic? He had been in Ikebukuro for at least two hours at this point, and not a single vending machine had been aimed for his head yet.

Shizuo must have been just as confused as he was.

And then there was this strange sort of vertigo in his stomach whenever he thought back to the actual encounter they shared. He thought he'd pegged it as pure lusting after the man , but now he was even more concerned with the fact that he missed the bed, the scent, the tangible strength lying next to him and that he couldn't stop thinking about it. The images rattled around in his brain relentlessly. Not to mention he just couldn't get off the way he wanted to without him. Izaya was not a fool – denying any truth was simply a set up for disaster at some point.

He was falling for Shizu-chan.

Not good.

Well! He would just have to apply Parkuor to this, as he did with all things. He would transcend this creatively and ingeniously. He was above such trivial matters – above humanity. He loved humans, but he considered himself above them.

Or beneath them. Depending on which direction that bipolar pendulum swung.

Izaya approached the bus stop to Shinjuku and stopped short to see who was at the bench already, pacing back and forth in an agitated manner. Karisawa Erika was begging him not to get on the bus and he was ignoring her, lighting what must have been the tenth cigarette given the butts about him on the sidewalk. He must have missed the last run and been waiting almost the full hour for the next.

Izaya had to make a decision and quickly, because Shizu-chan was just too stupid to make it on the spot. Taunt him into a fight as he always did, pretending nothing had ever happened between them in the first place. Humiliate him by exposing the affair (and making poor Karisawa soak her panties, he was sure), putting on a joke out of the whole thing – ultimately ending it. Ignore him and walk home, evading the situation completely. Or perhaps...

"Konbaowa, Shizu-chan," Izaya greeted, taking a seat at the bench as if it were perfectly normal for them to converse in a civil manner.

Do the unexpected. Act "normal."

Creative. Ingenious. Izaya loved himself almost as much as he loved humans. He also hated himself as much as he hated humanity's stupidity at times. Either way, a reaction was guaranteed, which he reveled in.

Shizuo stood dumbfounded, forgetting to take that drag to ignite his cancer stick and letting the ember die. He slowly placed it in his paper ashtray and sized Izaya up, trying to guess at his game. "What … what are you doing, pest?"

"Going home, isn't it obvious?" Izaya laughed.

Erika looked between them, utterly confused at first. Then her eyes glazed over, and she sort of giggled like a child. "Ooohohoho! No way!"

"Just shut up, will you?" Shizuo sighed. "You're being ridiculous."

"Oh, don't ruin her Shonen Ai fantasies, Shizu-chan. Let her think what she wants."

Shizuo couldn't utter a word, as if he were at a loss as to what to do too. Predictable protozoan. Finally he pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. "Erika-chan, could we have a moment?"

"So which one of you is seme and which one of you is uke?" she asked, then shut her mouth at Shizuo's glare. "Of course, Shizu-chan!" she gushed, running off, no doubt to vent her fantasies to her boytoy Walker.

"I'm waiting," Izaya told him.

"For what, the bus?"

"No, for you to throw this bench with me on it across the street."

Shizuo didn't. He was at an utter loss, Izaya could tell. He wasn't much better himself, but at least he could play it off like it was no big deal. "You want me to or something?"

"It would certainly be the 'norm,' wouldn't it?" Izaya chuckled.

"What's happening isn't normal and you know it."

"Strait to the point I see..."

"First off... WHY would you publish this on a BLOG?" Shizuo clenched his fists, showing restraint in order to gain information first. Then … a pummeling. Or … something. Shit, he didn't even know anymore.

"Come on, use your head," Izaya told him, glancing at the time across the street at a bank. 10:53pm. "Not too many people know who Kanra is, do they?"

"You … you're unbelievable!"

Izaya laughed again. "You're totally untalkable to. Just say it feels like I violated your … _our_ privacy. Though I don't recall this ever being a secret..."

"You're not ashamed?" Shizuo demanded.

"Ashamed? I'm ecstatic!" Izaya lied, swallowing the lump in his throat so the words wouldn't fall flat. He _was _ashamed. Ashamed that he wanted more. "What kind of image do you think that projects?" Shizuo stared. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter what you think. Whatever it is this does, I like it."

Shizuo continued to stare with an unreadable look. "You're playing a head game with me," he concluded.

"Oh?"

"You either DON'T like the image that paints in people's heads and are lying to me in order to provoke me into shattering it. Or you ..." he hesitated. "You actually ..."

"What kind of guy do you think I am?" Izaya laughed. It sounded stiff, and he hoped Shizuo was dumb enough not to notice.

"You really wanna know?" Shizuo asked with a malicious grin, cracking his knuckles.

Izaya had an eager face on. "I quiver in anticipation."

He was fully expecting the beast to charge him to make his point, but Shizuo simply took the half lit reburn cigarette out of his little envelope ashtray, lit it and looked Izaya coldly in the eye. It was utterly captivating. "Here's what kind of guy I think you are: a coward. Not because you're scared of anything on this earth, God forbid. No, you're a coward because you can't face anything within yourself head on. You pawn off any heart you might have on these 'humans' you love so much and the tricks you play on them. You never say what you're really thinking, you put on this smirk and play at it, picking it like a scab until it's bleeding your sick fucking tune. You can't even take what happened between us seriously, or how it makes you feel, be it hatred or … or whatever. You want the definition of a coward? IT'S YOU."

Izaya stared, dumbstruck at the man, still holding his gaze prisoner in amber orbs of intensity. Izaya was a remarkably hard man to read, or so he'd been told many times. How did Shizuo peg him so thoroughly; so accurately? He opened his mouth to quip back that he was full of shit when Shizuo held up his hand, took a drag and removed the cigarette from his lips. Those smooth, supple lips...

"Hold on a minute, I'm not done, and I'm not stupid. I won't deny that I'm not really good at looking inside myself either. Nobody is. But you … you take it on a whole new level. Just how many identities and faces do you have? Are any of them the real you? You're a chick named Kanra who blogs smutty fanfiction and trolls chatrooms. Who knows how many other online identities you have! You're this person to the Yakuza, you're that person to Celty and Shinra. You're a complete jack-off to me, and a royal dick to that secretary of yours. Where's Izaya? And just who was it that came to my house that night?"

Izaya was still chained painfully to Shizuo's gaze, which was angry and hurt and confused all at once. Izaya had a desperate fear that it was reflected, or worse, Shizuo really could see what was behind his own shocked expression, mouth agape slightly and eyes wide. He opened and shut his mouth a few times, angry at himself for letting Big-Dumb-and-Hansom win – at a duel of wits at that!

Izaya stood up and briskly walked away, trying to gather a reply – gather himself – before making his next move. Why didn't it just come like it always does? The quick and snappy retort that was supposed to come next was a close to instinct thing for him, how had Shizuo caused his vocabulary to run dry and dull his wit to a humiliating stupor?

"Get back here, you can't just run away from this like you do everything else!" Shizuo roared, storming after him.

Izaya stopped in an alleyway, smirk gone. "It's not running, Shizu-chan, it's evading karma."

"Whatever you call it, it's stupid and immature. Turn around and face me! Face _it!"_

"No."

Shizuo paused behind him, confused. "What?"

"I said NO," Izaya repeated firmly though there was a slight quiver in his voice, clenching his fists and for the first time in a long time, losing his cool. "I will not be controlled. I control everything, not the other way around! I refuse to believe I am being forced into something I don't want to happen. I've been wondering if I was so opposed to it if this happened in the first place. I can ride on something I enjoy, even if it's out of my hands, but to have no brakes is …" Izaya shuddered as Shizuo put a firm grip on his shoulder in a way that was impossible to tell if he was going to drag him around or throw him.

"It's unsettling," he continued quietly, not moving. "I'm above humans. Or below them. Think what you want, but they are in a class that I am not a part of. I envy them sometimes, other times I loathe their very presence, so I love them for making me feel something … _anything._ Therefor, I am beyond the fingers of karma. I am ahead of anything that could circle back to me. So why this? Why would these entities shove us together like this, and make us like it so goddamned much?"

"I never said I liked this," Shizuo said gruffly, still guarded.

"If I'm being honest, I expect the same," Izaya snapped, trying to shrug his hand off. It stayed. "You were the best sex I've had since … well, _ever_. Man or woman. I won't deny I want it to happen again. And again. And I want you to want it too. There's no other way to put it, Shizu-chan, I can't dance around something I can't control. There. I said it. I can't control this and it scares the living piss out of me. Is that _cowardly_ enough for you?"

"Izaya..."

"Don't touch me," he ordered harshly, trying to roll his shoulder away again. Shizuo kept his hold.

"Was it really a fluke?" Shizuo asked softly, a tone in his voice Izaya was not familiar with. Considering that it was usually anger or … well, just anger directed at him, he wasn't sure why this gentleness surprised him. It wasn't like the idiot couldn't feel any _other_ emotion. "It's crazy, but I _do_ want it to happen again. And keep happening. I thought I hated you … and I kind of still do. But this changes a lot, you know? You blew my mind, I'm not kidding. I've never had a lay like that … with a guy anyway, and not in a million years would I … you know, _do_ something like that with any man but you. _Fuck_ I can't stand you, why am I doing this?"

"I don't love you."

"I don't love you either."

"But I don't hate you either. I was pretty sure it was hate but I was wrong," Izaya mused. "I certainly don't _love_ you by any stretch of the imagination. I something you though, and I have from the start. I love provoking you. I love making you feel and react, I love how unpleasant you are. You don't act human, and because you are an anomaly, you are interesting. A real shit-smear, but closer to a class of existence that reflects mine. We were destined to have _something_ between us... it just turned out to be animosity for the better part of a decade."

"That's why Tsugaru and Psyche chose us I think," Shizuo told him. "You over-thought this, Izaya. No one is behind this but them. Kind of like... moths to flames or something."

"You are terrible at monologues," Izaya said blankly, still trying to process and refusing to face him. He relaxed his fists and the flickblade was slid into his palm in an instant. "God, why do I want to kill you and fuck you at the same time?"

"For the record, necrophilia is a felony," Shizuo told him dryly, not noticing the weapon.

"I don't want to stop trying to kill you."

"Same."

"I don't want you to die though. If you die, I can't savor you."

"... same."

The smirk found itself back onto Izaya's face and he whipped around, flickblade flashing and tearing a new rip in Shizuo's bartender vest as he jumped backwards reflexively just in time. "What do you say, Shizu-chan? One more go, just for fun?"

"The hell? I thought we were just talking!"

"Things are going to be different from here on out and you know it," Izaya told him, a sort of crazed revelation flashing in his dark eyes. "We have a choice. Continue as if nothing has occurred and never get off again, or begin anew. What that entails is unknown to the both of us, but we'll worry about that when it comes. Right now I want to go all out. To the death, Heiwajima Shizuo! May the victor take Ikebukuro. If we somehow both survive, we kiss and make up. Deal?"

Shizuo smiled and ripped a fire escape ladder clear off the side of the building with one hand after taking another drag and flicking the butt.

"Deal."


	11. Checkmate

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Checkmate**

Shinra sighed and crossed his arms, shaking his head after he answered the door.. "I knew this would happen. Honestly you two, _this_ is how you handle what you feel for each other?"

_Izaya cartwheeled away from the ladder as it was swung repeatedly at him, throwing knives as he ran vertically up a wall briefly, catching the platform that the ladder had led to and pulling himself to the roof of the building. Shizuo threw the thing at him, and it knicked his shoulder as he twisted away with inhuman agility. One of his knives had given the ex-bartender a gash across his thigh, bleeding freely. Undaunted, Shizuo jumped and grabbed the platform, pulling himself up to pursue as Izaya continued to freerun across the roof._

"Don't act as if we're a couple, jeez," Shizuo muttered, helping a limping Izaya to the doctor's couch.

"Seriously, just fix us up," Izaya laughed weakly, examining his broken hand with a smile. "Can't you just be happy that it's settled?"

"Settled?" Shinra repeated incredulously.

Celty uncrossed her arms and typed a single word and showed them all. If she had eyes to roll she would have rolled them. _**Finally...**_

_Hours of fighting had left both of them exhausted and prone to mistakes. The yield sign was aimed for Izaya's head, but it caught his wrist instead as he jumped to the side. "FUCK!" he yelped as it was crushed into a brick wall, hearing a crack as the bones gave out from such a blow. Shizuo hesitated, but grinned when Izaya laughed. "Thank God! I was afraid you'd hold back!"_

"_Quit complaining and fight back, pest!"_

"_With pleasure!"_

"Are you going to work your medicinal magic or not?" Shizuo asked, sitting down next to Izaya and holding a cut on his temple that was sending trickles of blood down his face. He was feeling a little light-headed, and with his other hand he held the stab wound in his side for fear of ruining Shinra's couch.

Shinra was already pulling latex gloves on as Celty handed him his kit. He was looking at Shizuo first it seemed, as his blood loss was external and clearly making him pale, despite the small and ironic smile on his face. "Does this mean I won't have to constantly patch you two up from each other anymore?"

"Not to this extent anyway," Izaya told him, wearing a similar grin. It was almost comical with the way his lip was swollen.

_For how epic the fight turned out to be, very little damage was inflicted upon Ikebukuro, mostly because the battle didn't really span much farther than the top of that building. Shizuo grabbed a handrail and yanked, pulling a good part of the stairs down with it as he swung. Izaya jumped over it, but Shizuo caught his foot on the backswing, causing the informant to stumble. Both of them were tired, it was obvious after such a drawn out duel, but neither were willing to admit defeat. _

_Shizuo pounced on Izaya, wrapping his hands around the skinny bastard's throat but stopped applying pressure as soon as it became apparent that Izaya had plunged the flickblade into his side. They paused for a moment, wondering who would pass out first, breath heavy and ragged, blood and bruises adorning them both._

"_Shizu-chan, you will not believe how hard I am right now."_

_Shizuo huffed some kind of half laugh and leaned down to press his lips against Izaya's, making him drop the blade, grab Shizuo's face and return the sentiment in a flushed urgency._

Celty's body sort of quivered in a chuckle as she presented her smartphone to them again. _**I hear the rejoicing of a thousand vending machines across Ikebukuro.**_

"Oh cram it," Shizuo told her, then flinched as Shinra started to staunch the bleeding from the deep gash Izaya had inflicted. "Ow, goddammit."

"Haha!" Izaya mocked, then blinked. "Ah. Stars..."

"Head between your legs," Shinra instructed, pulling out a syringe. "You probably have internal blood loss, not to mention a few broken bones. Shizuo, this is a local anesthetic. You need stitches."

"Screw it, just sew me up," Shizuo told him with a shrug, grabbing Izaya's head by the hair and forcing him to obey Shinra's command. "No passing out, pest."

"_I want you..." Izaya breathed into Shizuo, ignoring the sharp pains in his hand and foot to draw him in. He wanted their bodies close. He wanted the clothing off. He wanted this so bad. "I _need_ you..."_

"_Hands and knees," Shizuo ordered, helping him flip around and stroking Izaya's groin in a way that made the smaller man moan. The heat between his legs was contagious. He hiked the parka up and coaxed his pants off once Izaya was in position._

"_Come on..." Izaya pleaded. "I'm impatient. I need to get off, Shizu-chan, please!"_

_Shizuo wasn't about to deny that without Izaya, it had been impossible for him to have a satisfying sexual experience either. He wanted to slow down, he wanted to savor, he wanted to touch every inch of Izaya with just his lips but that fiery need forced haste. Shizuo released his hard on and spit on his fingers so he could stretch Izaya to his liking with at least a little more ease._

"_This is crazy..." he whispered, shoving his fingers in._

"_GOD-FUCK!" Izaya wailed when Shizuo hit that wonderful spot inside of him. "I don't care, just fuck me you moron!"_

Shizuo only grunted through the pain he vaguely felt as Shinra finished a few stitches into his side. No worse than being shot. He was still tingling with the sensation of Izaya to really care. He was actually worried that he'd hit the bastard too hard, the way he was doubled over and trying to not fall unconscious. His hand was streaked purple from the break. Most of his wounds were from a bludgeoning source so he wasn't bleeding as copiously as Shizuo was, who had suffered multiple slices, slashes and stabs, but he was still banged up just as badly.

Shizuo couldn't help but to wonder how Izaya dealt with pain.

"Ah, just like the good old days, huh Shinra?" he chuckled. Shizuo should have known he would try to laugh it off.

Once he was sure Shizuo wasn't going to bleed to death, Shinra moved on to inspect Izaya. "This is as bad as I've seen you two – whadja do, just let each other land lethal hits?"

"You could say that – SHIT-shit-shit-shit!" Izaya chuckled, then cursed as Shinra manipulated his carples in his hand in order to pinpoint the breaks. "Ahhh, just set it you bastard, that hurts!"

"I don't have the equipment to x-ray or make a cast here, so I'll just have to set it, tape it and brace it – DO NOT move your hand if you can help it, it needs to heal. I actually recommend you go to an actual hospital after this," Shinra instructed, pulling open a package of tape with his teeth. "This is going to hurt. Shizuo, hold him down."

"I'm not a pussy," Izaya scoffed.

"Your body will naturally pull away from pain, it's instinct," Shinra told him as Shizuo pinned his arm down. It sent a shiver up Izaya's spine to remember the way Shizuo touched him last. "Celty, get into my lockbox and grab a bottle of perkasets please. He'll need them."

_Shizuo slid into his adversary and basked in the sensation for a moment, all too eager to remember how Izaya could squeeze his member and make him come with just barely a touch or a vocalization. "Oh … dammit, you're tight..."_

_Izaya ground against Shizuo's hips to make him thrust, which he complied with in order to make Izaya moan again. He gasped when Shizuo's hand came around and gripped his leaking erection, stroking it in a manner that was heavenly. "Shizu-chaaaaan, that's so fucking hot!"_

_Shizuo grunted and tried to catch his breath, scouring the inside of Izaya out in a manner that drove both of them over the edge and back. "Oh damn, oh goddamn..." was all Shizuo could say, heady and dizzy and utterly melting into Izaya as he squirmed and writhed before him. _

"_FUCK I'm not gonna last..." Izaya suddenly cursed, curling his other fist and punching the cement on the roof. He wasn't as strong as Shizuo, but he still chipped it. "I'm gonna come, Shizu-chan, I'm gonna-I'm gonna-I'm gonnaaaaoohhhgooooood!"_

_Shizuo let a string of curses out as he too gave in and let go inside of Izaya, hips sore and aching from thrusting so hard into him for so long. He saw stars it was so earth-shatteringly amazing to have that kind of pleasure again. _

_Then he swooned, the stars not going away._

_Izaya rolled onto his back and almost looked alarmed. "Oh wow, you're bleeding pretty bad. I got you good."_

"_Uah," was all Shizuo could say, holding his head. What a fuck!_

"_Come on, let's go see Shinra..."_

Izaya was thoroughly doped up by the time Shinra gave them the clear to leave, and singing show tunes in his high. "Do you remember that 'God, the Devil and Bob' show, Shizu-chan? It had such a funny intro..."

"I don't watch American television," Shizuo told him, helping him limp down the street to the bus stop.

"What about that... 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'"

"Don't watch British television either."

"Shizu-chan is so sheltered," Izaya giggled.

"You should have taken the crutches."

"My foot's not broken... my … my hand is! Man these perks are strong! Check it out, I can wiggle my fingers without utter agony!"

"Stop that, you're not supposed to. Goddammit, why didn't you take those crutches? Do I have to carry you back to your apartment?"

Neither of them wanted to swallow their pride enough to go to a hospital for further treatment.

"What, you don't waaaaaant to?" Izaya drawled. "Coz let's be honest, Shizu-chan. I really wanna get my rocks of on you again – narcotics make me so hooooorny..."

Shizuo cleared his throat, clearly not the one for PDAs. "Did you have to take so many pills? You're acting like an idiot."

"This body's resistance to such substance is too high for my liking; my poor, poor liver cries every time," Izaya laughed as the bus pulled up. No one was on it, so when they took their seats Izaya's hand subtly wandered to Shizuo's groin and started to stroke his finger over the sensitive spot there. He stiffened, swallowing a groan so not to alert the driver that some kind of teenage hanky-panky was occurring. He wanted to swat Izaya away, but it was just too good... he was hard again very quickly with the way Izaya was nonchalantly running his fingers over his erection.

Izaya tormented him all the way to Shinjuku, where they quickly exited and shuffled as fast as they could given the injuries to Izaya's loft. The elevator was hell, as Izaya was practically making out with him by then. Once to the door, Izaya pushed Shizuo against it, all the while fumbling for his keys, trying not to break the delicious seal he had over the blond's lips. He'd been counting down the minutes to do this again, even though the last encounter had been merely hours before. Nothing about Shizuo could seem to fill him to a satisfactory level, so he drank the man in eagerly, pushing him onto the couch once inside and at last freeing the hard on he'd been torturing for almost a half-hour.

"Psyche..." Shizuo murmured in a daze.

Izaya stopped. "No. I am Izaya – Orihara Izaya. Those spirits can piggyback all they want, but we're not playing. I am Izaya, and I'm fucking Shizuo. Understand?"

"I'll call you Jesus fucking Christ, just don't stop," Shizuo moaned, missing the contact as soon as it stopped. Izaya grinned devilishly and his mouth descended upon his member. The moan hitched and Izaya's name crossed his lips once more, but this time only lust fueled the cry. "Iiizaaayaaa...!"

"Ooh, I missed that one..." Izaya paused long enough to say, then continued his ministrations upon that hot hard piece of flesh, throbbing with desire. "Want me?"

"Mmm..."

"Repeat that?"

"Yes, goddammit, Izaya! Quit fucking around!"

"So demanding!" Izaya jumped back briefly to retrieve some lubrication from the drawer on his side table – if they thought it was good before, this should blow them out of the water. He yanked Shizuo's pants and boxers off, then coated his own cock with the lube before falling onto his lover. "Should I make you beg?"

"I said stop fucking around!"

"But I want to hear you ask..."

Shizuo actually blushed. "Fine. Fuck me. Now."

"Hahaha, I think that's as good as I'm gonna get."

"Damn right, hurry up, I can't take this shit any more."

Izaya didn't bother with fingers this time, he just rammed right into Shizuo, eliciting a feverish cry from him. It hurt, but it hurt so fucking _good_. He knew all the right ways to pound in and out, pulling back and plunging forward so that he struck the prostate _just right._ When his hand wrapped around Shizuo's cock he could have died. The fucking was so hot and rampant that Shizuo's glasses fogged.

"Izaya..."

"Shizuo...!"

"_Fuck, Izaya!"_

"nnNNAUUGHH!"

"_FUCK!"_

They lay there on the couch for a moment, regaining their senses. Izaya then pulled out and was nearly hard again at the sight of his own seed dribbling out of Shizuo's violated hole, the man lying there in a post-coitus stupor, flushed and panting like a woman. Instead, Izaya slid out of his coat and readjusted, then slid into Shizuo's arms, burying his nose in the crook of his neck, relishing the smell of sweat and sex and cigarettes.

Shizuo tensed, then simply laid his hand in Izaya's hair gently, drifting off a little. He hurt, and no doubt Izaya did too, but it had been very, very worth it.

"Stay till morning," Izaya whispered.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because...?"

Izaya lifted his head and looked Shizuo in the eyes, a softer, less malicious look upon his face for once. "Because we don't have to pretend anymore."

****END****


	12. Epilogue

**Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]**

**Epilogue**

[[Three weeks later]]

"I didn't know you could play the piano."

Shizuo turned from the stool and found Izaya in his apartment, startled for a second then remembering that he had a key. It was still so weird to this day, not trying to hurl things at him. After that strange encounter with Tsugaru and Psyche (who were delighted they could remain where they were in their dreams), they had sort of meshed their lives together, and no boundaries had been defined or discussed. Neither of them denied nor affirmed whatever it was they shared. It was sort of a strange relationship agreement, with the heated and rushed sexual moments dotted with a bizarre kind of … gentleness.

"Yeah. I took lessons as a kid."

"Sounds sad."

"Eh. Heard it on a NIN album. Thought it was kind of neat."

Izaya laughed and picked out a Lenard Cohen CD from his electronics rack. "You don't strike me as the Trent Reznor type."

"And you're iTunes library with every Freezepop album?"

"Touché."

Izaya sat next to Shizuo after he slipped out of his shoes and parka, shaking off the rain and leaning in close, trying to steal a little warmth from the taller man. He lazily tapped a higher note on the small piano with his unbraced hand and leaned his head on Shizuo's shoulder, as if he were thinking deeply. The thing had gathered dust in Shizuo's negligence to it, so Izaya had assumed that it had just been there for some reason, and not for really playing.

"Hey."

"What?" Izaya asked.

"Quit it."

"Quit what?"

"That deep thinking. It's distracting."

"And just what am I distracting you from, hm, Shizu-chan?"

Shizuo started to play again, picking up the second movement of the song – a slower sort of melancholy tune. "I dunno," he replied after a moment.

"Who's ruminating? Hahaha…"

Shizuo stopped to half ruffle Izaya's hair, half shove him lightly with a smile. "Shut up."

"Ow…"

Shizuo stopped and inspected Izaya's ear, which was bleeding a bit and swelling up into a bruise. "The hell happened to you?"

"Got jumped. Ten on one. No big, just a scratch. I obviously got away. This sorta thing happens when you deal in information you know…"

"That's what Mercucio said."

"And the Black Knight!"

"Don't joke, let me see."

"Ow, OW!"

"Quit squirming, pest! Let me see."

Izaya at last let Shizuo see the wound. It was minor, but it made him frown. "Not cool. Who did this?"

"That moron Hiroshi hired a bunch of thugs tougher than him. Don't worry, most of them are being evicted from their holes."

Sometimes it disturbed Shizuo how lightheartedly Izaya took these sort of things. And how he inflicted strife with a smile, be it from revenge or just for kicks.

"Hey."

"Hm?" Shizuo asked, looking into Izaya's dark and sly eyes.

"Don't worry so much." _Kiss._

Shizuo couldn't help but to mile. "You shit."

"You love it. Let's fuck."

"Sure."

****END LET'S PRETEND [[PSYCHEDELIC DREAMS]]****


End file.
